A new study shows people may be able to predict their chances of getting heart disease just by measuring their waist-lines.

In a 10-year study, Dutch scientists found that half of all fatal heart disease cases were linked to being overweight and having a high Body Mass Index (BMI) - or large waist.

It also found that one in seven non-fatal heart disease cases could be attributed to being overweight.

Dr. Ineke van Dis of the Netherlands Heart Foundation was the chief investigator in the study.

"What this study shows is the substantial effect which overweight and obesity have on cardiovascular disease, whether fatal or non-fatal," he told the Press Association. "In the near future, the impact of obesity on the burden of heart disease will be even greater."

The study, known as MORGEN, monitored more than 20,000 men and women aged 20 to 65 over the course of a decade.