Long commutes linked to larger waistlines: US

Expect a lawsuit for hazardous duty pay for people who commute to work.

People who drive long distances to work are more likely to be overweight and have poorer fitness levels than people who live closer to their jobs, a US study said Tuesday.

The study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine was based on data from nearly 4,300 people in Texas near the major metropolitan hubs of Dallas-Fort Worth -- one of the top five most congested areas in the United States -- and nearby Austin.

People who drove longer distances to work were found generally to have larger waist circumferences, lower cardiovascular fitness levels, higher blood pressure and higher body-mass index.

It will be coming to a courtroom near you soon enough.