City of York Council is urging residents to take up cycling this summer to beat the bulge - in response to a national survey which showed that the country's waist sizes and other bits have exploded over the last few decades. The timely call for people to get on their bikes from the city's transport chiefs comes after the national survey showed that rears, hips and thighs are all suffering from a lack of physical activity. The research, commissioned by Nimble Bread, found that men's hips have grown by two inches in the past 30 years and, if the trend continues, the average size of the male waist could soon be 42 inches.

The high-profile Nimble survey found that one in ten men said they never got undressed in front of their partner because they were self conscious about the size of their rears. And, when presented with a scan of their body, a third were shocked to find that their bottom was bigger than they thought it was.

The study of 500 men and 500 women also showed that one in six men watched at least seven hours of sport a week on TV, with one in three doing no exercise at all.

Today, Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, said the news underlined the importance of encouraging exercise like cycling alongside better diets and other healthy living initiatives.

Councillor Simpson-Laing said, "I can see the appeal of a fitter male bottom. The very serious issue, however, is that fewer people are physically active these days, which is resulting in health problems for many.

"The key to feeling fit and looking great can be regular cycling. It doesn't have to be strenuous but it all counts."

The message follows swiftly on the heels of the council's cheeky, 'How far will you go?' cycling campaign, launched by Councillor Simpson-Laing in March.

The campaign uses saucy images of young couples enjoying York's one hundred kilometre cycle network to promote cycling for better health.

ENDS

Notes for Editors: more information on the Nimble survey can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2149422.stm