Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Bermuda and, according to the Bermuda Heart Foundation, obesity is our number one risk factor.

If you think judging who is obese is obvious, you'll be surprised at who the term actually includes. Look at your waist. Is it smaller than your hips?

The Foundation quotes statistics from the 2006 Health Survey, Well Bermuda Report, which show a quarter of the population is obese and a further 38 percent are overweight. This means a staggering 63 percent of locals weigh more than they should.

Overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 29.9.

Those with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese.

But researchers in Canada, involved in an Interheart study, found that the ratio of a person's waist measurement to their hip measurement was a much better indicator for heart attack than BMI.

The international study included 52 countries across the world and involved just over 20,000 people. The researchers found BMI a weaker predictor of heart attack when risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, smoking, cholesterol levels, diet and activity were taken into account.

However, when waist to hip ratio was measured and the risk factors taken into account, the readings showed a more accurate prediction for heart attack.

The reason for this is that abdominal fat interferes with metabolism more than fat elsewhere in the body.

Dr. Richard Fogoros author of "Guide to Your Heart Disease" said this means that even people who are not particularly overweight are still at increased risk for heart disease if their waist size is increased.

He said it also means that some overweight people, especially those with pear shapes, who store weight in the hips, thighs and buttocks but not the waist, may not be at high risk for heart attack if the other risk factors are under control.