Couch potato lifestyles could be causing 70,000 deaths in the UK annually, a major study suggests. The research suggests 12 per cent of all deaths are associated with sedentary behaviour, driving up rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The study - the first to quantify the impact of such lifestyles on NHS spending, and on Britain’s death toll - follows research which suggests workers need to do an hour’s exercise - such as brisk walking - to counter the deadly impact of a day in the office.

Researchers said 30 per cent of adults in England spend at least six hours a day being sedentary on week days - rising to 37 per cent at weekends.

The study pooled data from a number of studies, which examined the links between long periods sitting, and the risks of common diseases.

The modelling, by Queen’s University, Belfast, suggests that 69,276 deaths a year are associated with sedentary behaviour - 11.6 per cent of all deaths.