Women gained three inches on their waists in past 30 years

Too many ‘eating as if it is Christmas every day’, say campaigners as they call for simple lifestyle changes

WOMEN have gained almost 3in on their waistlines in fewer than three decades, official figures show.

The data from a mass survey across England show the average woman has a waist span of 35 inches, up from just over 32 inches in the 1990s.

Almost half of women are now classed as having a “very high waist circumference”, meaning it is at least 34.6in (88cm). The proportion falling into this category has doubled since 1993, the presentation from the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows.

Male bellies have continued to bulge over the same time period, though at a slower rate. The figures show that the average male waistband is now 38.5in, up from 36.6in.

In total, 36 per cent of men are classed as having a “very high waist circumference”, which means it is at least 40in (102cm). In the 1990s, just 20 per cent of men fell into this category.

The data come from the Health Survey of England carried out in 2019, when waistlines were last measured. Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) published in April urges everyone from the age of five upwards to regularly measure their waistline and to check it is less than half their height. This means that someone who is 5ft 10in (178cm) tall should have a waist of less than 35in (89cm).

Previously, their advice had suggested that the body mass index (BMI), which measures the mass and height of a person, was enough to assess whether weight is healthy or not.

Earlier this year, a study by the University of Oxford found that every extra inch on the waistline increases the risk of heart failure by 11 per cent.

The analysis of health data on adults aged 40 to 70 showed weight circumference is the biggest risk factor for events over other obesity measures such as BMI.

Experts said the findings added to a body of evidence showing that extra pounds around the belly are far more important than overall weight.

Too much visceral fat, which sits around the internal organs, can impair the way heart and blood vessels function. Two out of three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: “The figures for both men and women are alarming – too many of us are eating as though it is Christmas every day. Nice is quite right to urge that waist measurements be now taken annually from the time a child first goes to school.”

James Leiper, an associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Simple lifestyle changes can help you manage your weight and achieve a healthier measurement, including getting more exercise and eating a healthy Mediterranean-style diet.”