The British public has been advised to take a tape measure to their waistlines – amidst warnings of a link to diabetes.
People who develop diabetes because of obesity risk the loss of limbs and eye-sight, health officials warned.
Waist measurement is a simple indicator of risk, according to Public Health England.
A man with a waist of more than 40.2 inches faces a five times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes – which is often triggered by obesity, according to its analysis.
A woman with a waist larger than 34.7 inches faces a three times increased risk, it said.
Public Health England said people from ethnic minorities tended to face an even bigger risk.
Its chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone said: "Type 2 diabetes is a very serious public health issue which can have significant consequences, such as limb amputations or blindness.
"The key to reducing diabetes is losing weight which can be achieved through a healthy diet and being more active."
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