The risks and dangers of obesity are obvious, but the latest study into being overweight has suggested that carrying just a few extra pounds will increase your chances of heart failure.

Being seven pounds over your ideal weight carries with it the risk of congestive heart failure, a life-threatening condition that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body.

The study, carried out over twenty years, followed the weight of over 20,000 male doctors and found that being slightly overweight increases the chances of heart failure. The more overweight someone becomes, the risk increases further.

For a man who is 5ft 10in and carrying seven excess pounds, the risk of heart failure rises to 11% over a twenty year period.

Participants had an average age of 53 at the start of the study and over the twenty year period 1,000 developed heart failure.

Exercise was found to cut the risk of heart failure in men who were obese, overweight and slim. However, a high body mass index (BMI) increased the risk of suffering the condition.

Heart failure currently affects 900,000 middle-aged men and women and leads to conditions such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.

People who are lean and physically active have the lowest risk of heart failure.

Find a local practitioner