Waist fat 'increases risk of bowel cancer by 3% per inch'

Carrying excess fat around the waist increases the risk of bowel cancer, even if the rest of the body is slim, according to new research.

A study by experts at Imperial College London and the University of Leeds found that, for every extra inch on the waist above a healthy measurement, the risk of bowel cancer went up by 3%.

A healthy measurement is defined as less than 31.5in for women, less than 37 inches for white and black men, and less than 35 inches for Asian men.