London - The size of your waist is a more important determinant of health than your weight, doctors have found. In one of the largest studies conducted of the link between waist size and health, researchers discovered that having a large waist increased the likelihood of premature death, even in people not considered to be overweight or obese.
People with a large waist - more than 120cm for men and 100cm for women - had twice the risk of dying prematurely compared with people who had slender waists - less than 80cm for men and 65cm for women.
The study was conducted among 350 000 people across Europe and the findings are published in the New England Journal Of Medicine.
Professor Elio Riboli, of the Department of Public Health at Imperial College London, who led the study, said fatty tissue around the middle secreted toxins into the bloodstream that could contribute to the development of chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
"Our study shows that accumulating excess fat around your middle can put your health at risk even if your weight is normal, based on BMi scores. There aren't many simple individual characteristics that can increase a person's risk of premature death to this extent."
The problem is greatest among men. The typical British male has an apple shape, his stomach bulging over his trousers, whereas women tend to the traditional pear shape as they age with weight accumulating on hips and legs. - The Independent