Middle-aged residents are being reminded of the health benefits of being more active, eating well, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking – all to avoid future diseases caused by modern-day living.
One You, a recently launched government behaviour-change campaign, aims to get adults across the country to take control of their health by starting with the How Are You? quiz at www.nhs.uk/oneyou It provides personalised recommendations and directs people to tools and advice to seek help where it’s most needed, including the reduction of stress, and sleeping better.
Over half (56%) of 40- to 60-year-olds taking the quiz said they were likely to change their lifestyle to improve their health because of the feedback it gave them.1
Everyday habits and behaviours, such as eating unhealthy food, drinking too much alcohol, smoking and not being active enough, are responsible for around 40% of all deaths in England2, and cost the NHS more than £11bn a year.3
Heart and circulatory diseases cause around one-third of deaths in Croydon, and it is estimated that one in six residents over 18 years of age (more than 50,000 adults) is drinking at increasing and higher risk levels.4 Smoking increases the risk of developing more than 50 health-related conditions, including cancers, yet prevalence is estimated at 17% of the borough’s adult population.
Latest figures show that life expectancy at older ages is at record levels, but many are spending their retirement living in ill health. Currently 15m Britons are living with a long-term health condition, while studies show living healthily in middle age can double your chances of being healthy when you are 70.5
Councillor Louisa Woodley, cabinet member for families, health and social care
“It’s never too late to get your health back on track and start the fight to regain fitness. We realise that the challenges of modern living often make it hard for our residents to live healthily. Those challenges might include bigger portions on offer when they eat out, a desk-bound job or a long commute to work. The One You campaign is a timely reminder for people to reappraise their lifestyle choices, put themselves first and do something about their health.
“We hope the campaign will also inspire even more people to make use of the free local health and well-being services that are available on their doorstep, as well as taking part in activities at one of the borough’s leisure centres. The Healthy Living Hub in Central Library, on Katharine Street, is also a handy resource to pop in for a chat about health needs.”
Residents can learn more about Croydon’s health and well-being services at www.croydon.gov.uk/publichealth
They can also download a copy of the Get Up & Go! guide, bursting with activities for all ages and abilities, at www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/sports/projects
- Survey conducted by TNS BMRB with 1,614 adults aged 40 to 60 in England from 29 January to 1 February 2016, using the Lightspeed GMI online panel. Data was weighted to be representative by age, gender, social grade and region. 893 respondents completed the How Are You tool. (Source: Public Health England.)
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare – Public Health England. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington, 2015. Available at: http://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare [Last Accessed: 11 February 2016] (Source: Public Health England.)
- A sum of £3.5bn (alcohol costs), £2bn (smoking costs) and £6.1bn (overweight and obesity) which are the biggest lifestyle risks. This figure does not take into consideration the cost of diet and physical activity as this overlaps with obesity and diabetes costs. (Source: Public Health England.)
- Croydon Council Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – Alcohol chapter (2013-14) croydonobservatory.org/2013-2014_JSNA
- Lang, I A, et al. (2012). Healthy behaviours in middle age: Long-term consequences for functioning and mortality. Age and Ageing 41. (Source: Public Health England.)
