Older sisters are more likely to be overweight or obese than their female siblings, research suggests.

The largest study of its kind on women found that birth order may play an important role in determining weight.

A study has shown older sisters weigh more than their younger counterparts, even into adulthood. Credit:Getty

The findings back up similar research on men that found older brothers were not only more likely to be overweight, but were also taller than younger male siblings.

The latest research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, examined data from 13,406 sister pairs (26,812 women in total) in Sweden.