Yorkshire life expectancy two years below national average

THE full extent of a north-south divide in the nation's health has been exposed in a new study, which reveals people in Yorkshire are expected to die two years earlier than people born in other parts of the country.

Despite concerted efforts to tackle so-called health inequalities, death rates from cancer, circulatory and respiratory diseases are all generally higher in the three northern regions – Yorkshire and Humber, the North-East and North-West – than elsewhere in the country.

Levels of smoking and alcohol consumption – which contribute to poor health – are also much higher than average in those regions, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual snapshot of life in England.

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The only brighter spots for the region are better than average rates of breast cancer, while when it comes to obesity among children London is the country's blackspot.

The ONS says: "There are many regional variations, leading to inevitable health inequalities. Overall, there was a north-south divide in health experiences.

"The northern regions were at one end of the scale where health experiences were generally poorer than average, but in the south the experiences were largely better than average."

According to the report, life expectancy for men in the Yorkshire region is 77 and for women 81 – both two years less than the respective national average. However, the figures are slightly higher than the North-East and North-West.

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The general death rate in Yorkshire, at 616 per 100,000 people, was higher than the English average of 575, while rates of lung cancer in both men and women are also above average.

Levels of smoking at 24 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women are both significantly higher than the average, as are levels of "binge drinking", which is classed as men drinking eight units of alcohol or women consuming six units in a session.

Binge drinking is a particular issue in Yorkshire. It has the highest levels in the country, 29 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women admitting having done so in the week the survey was carried out – nearly 50 per cent above the English average.

The Labour MP for Rother Valley, Kevin Barron, who chaired the health select committee before the election, said improving people's lifestyles was vital to tackling inequalities in health.

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"Part of it is cultural," he said. "We need to change some of the habits people have. It's often just part of their culture, and that takes time."

He said educating children about the importance of a healthy diet was vital, and said moves to improve the nutritional quality of school food had been important.

High levels of health in London were undermined by the problem of childhood obesity. A rate of 11.2 per cent in reception class in 2008-09 was the highest in the country, compared with 8.7 per cent in the lowest regions East of England and the South-East. In Yorkshire the rate was 10 per cent.

The rate of breast cancer in the region – 121 cases per 100,000 people – was below the English average of 123. The South-West was a hot spot, with 135 cases.

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A Department of Health spokesman said: "Everyone should have the same opportunities to lead a healthy life no matter where they live.

"We need to do more to help people in deprived areas and we need an ambitious and co-ordinated strategy to do that. We want the public's health to be at the very heart of all we do, not just in the NHS but across Government."

BRITAIN WARNED OVER DANGERS OF SOARING POPULATION

BRITAIN will struggle to cope with a rising population projected to reach 70 million by 2030, a report warned today.

The Forum for the Future study said a population rise of nine million – the equivalent of adding a new city the size of Bristol to the UK each year – would increase demand for houses, schools, hospitals, food and water and lead to rises in pollution and waste.

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The Government must start planning now to ensure population growth does not reach the highs predicted and that a rise in numbers does not mean a fall in quality of life or higher carbon emissions, the sustainable development organisation said.

Forum for the Future's founder director Sara Parkin called for a public debate on how to ensure the UK has a sustainable future.

She said: "Britons deserve a serious debate about population and politicians need to start planning now to achieve a sustainable future.

"By recognising population as a vital element in strategies to achieve low carbon and satisfying lifestyles, politicians can reclaim the issue from the extremists."

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She added: "Only through good leadership and sensitive long-term planning can we make sure that UK population growth falls short of today's high projections."

NUMBER OVER 65 SET TO ROCKET

The number of over-65s in Britain is expected to increase by two thirds over the next 20 years to 15.8 million.

The burgeoning elderly population poses a huge challenge in relation to local services, housing, health and welfare services.

According to the ONS, the fact the post-war "baby boom" generation is now reaching retirement, coupled with falling fertility levels after the mid 1970s, is contributing to the ageing population.

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Every region saw a growth in the number of people aged 50 and over between 2003 and 2008, with coastal and rural areas having the highest levels.

The ageing population is already creating pressures on public spending, with the coalition Government promising a commission to consider how to fund care for the elderly in the future.

The South West and Wales had the highest levels of people aged 50 or over, while London and Northern Ireland had the lowest percentages.

Levels of fuel poverty among the over 60s were higher in Yorkshire and the Humber than the national average.