An expanding waistline, particularly around the abdomen, is a key indicator that people will develop serious or life-threatening disease in later life, according to a study done at the University of Adelaide.
The study, published in the Circulation Journal, concluded weight gain was a more accurate indicator of potential for future disease, not lifestyle factors such as smoking exposure and high fat diet, as was previously thought.
Researchers said the results should be of particular concern to Australians considering the rise in obesity rates among adults.
Read more at Western Sydney University