MORE than 1.2million Scots are abdominally obese', putting them at heightened risk of health problems.
As the results of a study are revealed, medical experts warned almost a third of Scots are now at risk of developing heart disease and diabetes due to them carrying extra fat.
More than one in three women and a quarter of men now have waists bigger than the recommended span, figures in a report by Harry Burns, Scotland's chief medical officer show.
Traditionally, doctors have judged obesity based on the Body Mass Index, which is based on weight in relation to height.
But studies suggest that those with extra fat around the abdomen are more at risk of the diseases.
A woman with a waist above 35 inches and a man whose waist is over 40 inches are now classified as abdominally obese.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article