Obesity linked to greater risk of developing serious lung disease, study warns

The Daily Mail reports:

Obese people are at greater risk of developing a serious lung disease, scientists have today warned.

Researchers found excessive fat around the waist and low levels of physical activity are linked to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A team of experts in Germany and the U.S. looked at the relationship between waist and hip circumference, body mass index (BMI) and exercise levels to COPD cases.

They assessed the link in more than 113,000 men and women in the U.S. aged between 50 and 70, who did not have COPD, cancer or heart disease at the beginning of the study in 1995.

During the 10-year study, COPD developed in 3,648 of those taking part.

People with larger waists - measuring 110cm or 43.3ins or more in women and 118cm or 46.4ins or more in men - had a 72 per cent increased risk of COPD.

Study co-author Dr Gundula Behrens of Regensburg University in Germany, said: 'We observed a stronger positive relation with abdominal body fat than with total body fat and COPD.

No word yet on whether Nancy Pelosi thinks having a 47 inch waste is a pre-existing condition.