Having a slender waist is not only enviable aesthetically, but it could actually help you to live a longer and healthier life too. According to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The journal reported the study that commenced in 1992, which concluded that waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were important factors in predicting mortality.

BMI not important
According to the findings, the risk of premature death was around double for subjects with a larger waist - more than 120cm or 47.2in for men and more than 100cm or 39.4in for women – compared to subjects with a smaller waist - less than 80cm or 31.5in for men and less than 65cm or 25.6in for women. These findings were independent from Body Mass Index (BMI), so even if subjects were considered to have a 'normal' BMI, if their body fat distribution was such that they stored excess fat around their middle, they had a higher risk of premature death.

The team said that each 5cm increase in waist circumference increased the mortality risk by 17% in men and 13% in women.

The study was conducted throughout Europe, with the main test centres at the German Institute for Human Nutrition and Imperial College London. The waist-to-hip ratio varied greatly from centre to centre and amoong 98% of the study population the ratio was between 0.78 and 1.10 in men and between 0.66 and 0.98 in women. Each 0.1 percentage point higher equated to a 34% higher mortality risk in men and a 24% higher risk in women.

Fat distribution critical
The authors suggest that fat distribution has an effect on mortality due to the fact that fatty tissue in the waist area secretes hormones and compounds which can contribute to the development of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

Dr Tobias Pischon from the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrücke, said:

"The most important result of our study is the finding that not just being overweight, but also the distribution of body fat, affects the risk of premature death of each individual. Abdominal fat is not only a mere energy depot, but it also releases messenger substances that can contribute to the development of chronic diseases. This may be the reason for the link."