British women’s life expectancy is lower than most other EU nations

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Brits unhealthy habits mean baby girls are ranked 18 out of 28 for life expectancy among EU nations

Sick women of Europe: Britons’ unhealthy habits mean baby girls are ranked 18 out of 28 for life expectancy among EU nations

  • Girls born in UK today can expect death three-and-a-half years earlier than Spain
  • League tables show British women have an average life expectancy of 83 
  • Unhealthy lifestyles mean British women are 18th out of 28 EU countries

Unhealthy lifestyles mean British women now have some of the lowest life expectancies in Europe, a report found.

Girls born in the UK today can expect to die three-and-a-half years earlier than top nation Spain due to rising levels of obesity and poor cancer survival rates.

League tables show British women have an average life expectancy of 83 – ranking 18th out of 28 EU countries – below the likes of Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Slovenia.

Only a handful of countries, including Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania, did worse.

Unhealthy lifestyles mean British women are 18th out of 28 EU countries


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British women also fare badly when it comes to premature deaths –defined as those before the age of 75, the report by Public Health England (PHE) found.

Many are caused by cancer, heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes, which are linked to smoking, alcohol and junk food diets.

Professor John Newton, director of health improvement at PHE, said: ‘It is certainly of concern that we have worse outcomes than other European countries.

‘We are in the middle of the pack and we would like to be at the top. There is no reason why we shouldn’t be as healthy as anywhere in Europe.

‘Obesity is a cause of breast cancer so reducing obesity would help to improve cancer outcomes.’

British men fared better, with an average life expectancy of 79 putting them tenth in the same rankings. Health officials cautioned that women can expect to spend almost a quarter of their lives in poor health – 19.3 years compared to 16.2 years for men.

League tables show British women have an average life expectancy of 83

The warning comes days after World Health Organisation data revealed four in ten British women are putting their health at risk by failing to do enough exercise.

Many are now drinking as much as men for the first time, risking liver disease, cancer and other illnesses. Professor Newton suggested the only way the UK’s standing will improve is by tackling the causes. The PHE report found people are still living longer, with the number of people over 85 having tripled since the 1970s.

But life expectancy growth for both sexes is slowing, with experts suggesting it could soon ‘plateau’.

Last night charities described the snapshot – which is expected to help shape the forthcoming NHS long-term plan – as ‘deeply depressing’. Caroline Abrahams of Age UK said: ‘Surely this is a wake-up call to all of us to take responsibility for our health as we age and to Government to do more to help.’

PHE also found people in the richest areas of England enjoy 19 more years in good health than the poorest. With a long-term plan that put prevention of health inequalities at its core, PHE chief executive Duncan Selbrie said ‘the payoff of a healthier society and more sustainable NHS will be huge’.

 

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