Brisk 20-minute walk each day could help avoid an early death

Lack of exercise is twice as likely to lead to an early grave than obesity, research by Cambridge academics has found.

And their study found a brisk 20-minute walk each day is all it takes to avoid dying prematurely.

Scientists followed 334,161 European men and women for 12 years and looked at the effects of obesity and exercise on them.

They found people who took moderate levels of daily exercise - the equivalent of an energetic 20-minute walk - were 16% to 30% less likely to die than those classed as inactive.

The impact was greatest on people with a "normal" weight but even those with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) saw a benefit.

Watch Victoria Lampard's report on how to keep fit and healthy - including some top tips - here.

Avoiding inactivity was found to theoretically reduce the risk of death from any cause by 7.35%. Having a BMI lower than obesity levels - defined as 30 or more - lowers the risk by 3.66%

The researchers said while tackling the country's obesity problem should remain a key aim, encouraging people to make "small but achievable changes in physical activity" could have significant health benefits and "may be easier to achieve and maintain".

Participants in the research, who had an average age of around 50, were all recruited to the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (Epic) study conducted across 10 European countries, including the UK.

All had their height, weight, and waist sizes measured and provided self-assessments of physical activity levels.

Just under a quarter (22.7%) were categorised as inactive, working in sedentary jobs without engaging in any recreational exercise.

The greatest reductions in the risk of premature death were seen when comparing moderately active groups with those who were completely inactive.