NORTH DEVONIANS AMONGST THE HEALTHIEST IN THE UK
October 25, 2006 11:16 AM
A recent government report confirms what most of us knew all along: the South West is a healthier place than the rest of the country.
Live here and you and your children will be healthier and live longer. I often bang on about North Devon's problems, but this is good news so let's congratulate ourselves on this achievement.
Much of it comes down to the life style choices we make. It is a cliché, but the environment and its produce draw and keep people here.
The Department of Health's 'Health Profile of England' confirms another long held suspicion: a clear health divide between north and south.
I find it reassuring, as will other parents, that we have the most physically active kids in the country, lowest child poverty rate and the second lowest teenage pregnancy rate. But we could do better with our children's teeth; they are pegged just above average for decay.
It is also good news for adults; here in Devon we have the longest life expectancy with 82 years for women (national average is 80) and almost 78 for men (national average is just over 76).
Encouragingly we have below average rates for adult obesity and like our children are some of the most active people in the country. But this is all relative: the UK as a whole has the worst obesity rate in Europe.
On a brighter note, people in the South West have the lowest levels of death from alcohol and smoking, and mental health is generally good.
Surprisingly we lag behind four other regions: East Midlands, East Anglia, London and the South East, on eating enough fruit 'n veg. So next time you are in the pannier market, farmers' market or supermarket, give the fresh produce a second look.
The government plans to provide vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables for pregnant women and parents of young children. A pilot scheme in Devon and Cornwall has proved successful.
We should also support children's healthy eating initiatives such as Jamie Oliver's school dinners, and the Government's 'Small change, big difference' campaign for adults.
Of course we do have real problems with housing, social exclusion and health services, but these don't outweigh the benefits of living here.
While the Health Department may not have told us anything new, this is an affirmation that we are doing something right.
What would you like to do next?
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