Regular brisk walking is the best exercise for keeping your weight down, according to research by the London School of Economics.

People over the age of 50 and women of all ages are more likely to have a lower weight if they regularly engage in high impact walking compared to doing another sporting activities like going to the gym, says the report.

Dr Grace Lordan, a specialist in health economics who led the research, said: “The results provide an argument for a campaign to promote walking. Focus on physical activity is less controversial as it would not be subject to political lobbying as is the case for “fat” tax and other policies that aim to change consumption of junk foods in a person’s diet.”

The article, due to be published in the journal Risk Analysis, explains that although the government recommends that adults should have 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, there is no guidance as to which type of activity is the most effective.

The authors estimated that almost 80 per cent of the UK population is not meeting government targets for exercise. Resulting health problems cost the NHS almost £1 billion a year, mostly due to the effects of obesity.