Losing weight 'can reduce need for medical alert pendants'

If people want to stay fit and healthy, as well as reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease, it is essential for them to keep their weight under control.

This is according to Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart foundation, who said that the most important advice to remember is to eat a balanced diet that is low in saturated fat.

'Portion size often plays a part in variable weight loss as even healthy food has calories. Physical activity is part of the process in maintaining a healthy body weight,' she said.

Ms Ross added that if people want to reduce the risk of having to wear medical alert pendants in the future because they suffer from heart disease, they should 'make every effort' to modify their lifestyles.

Her comments come after the Ben Gurion University in Israel stated that healthy, long-term weight loss can help to reverse the narrowing of arteries due to the build up of fat.