BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A new study HAS revealed that having a large waist size increases a person's risk of dying from any cause over a nine-year period.

A large waist circumference has been associated with abnormal cholesterol levels, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society examined the association between waist circumference and risk of death among more than 100,000 men and women older than 50.

The fat tissue surrounding abdominal organs is thought to be more dangerous than fat tissue under the skin.

After adjusting for body-mass index and other risk factors, they found that men with waists larger than 47 inches and women with waists larger than 42 inches had double the risk of death during the study period.

Oddly though, the association between a large waist size and death was strongest among women in a normal overall weight range.

The National Institutes of Health recommends overall weight-loss goals. But, after this new evidence, the NIH may also need to recommend guidelines for people who are abdominally obese.