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Almost one third of London men are so overweight they are unable to see their own genitals, according to a survey.

The study, carried out across all regions of the UK, found the highest percentage of men who could not see their privates due to their bulging stomachs were in the West Midlands and the lowest number in the South East.

A new online men's health service has launched a campaign to encourage men to watch their weight by checking if the view of their penis is obstructed.

WeLoveOurHealth.co.uk - has launched the 'Big Check' Campaign. The initiative, backed by leading medical professionals, hopes to encourage men to make one simple, yet potentially lifesaving health check - by asking "Can you see your manhood?" - to highlight the importance of a man's waist measurement, rather than his Body Mass Index (BMI), for determining his risk of developing weight-related illness such as stroke, diabetes and heart disease.

The website's online doctor, and A&E specialist Dr Johan du Plessis, said: "This new research is really worrying and men must be encouraged to wake up to the potential life threatening risks of being overweight and to make this vital check.

"An obese man who can't see his penis is five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, three times more likely to develop cancer of the colon and more than two and a half times more likely to develop high blood pressure - a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease."

The percentage of men surveyed who said their belly obstructs their view of their genitals:

East Anglia 36.54%

East Midlands 37.74%

London 30.57%

North East 35.19%

North West 39.26%

Northern Ireland 34.62%

Scotland 30%

South East 22.89%

South West 23.66%

Wales 30.95%

West Midlands 43.33%

Yorkshire and the Humber 38.20%