Choosing Health? Summaries Pack

Choosing Health - booklet submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

The Government has written a booklet called Choosing Health. It says what the Government is going to do to help people in England to be healthier. This easy read booklet tells you all about Choosing Health. You can find out: why we need things to change; what people want from the Government to help them to be healthier; what the Government wants; what the Government is going to do; how to find out more.

Cover submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Cover to the "Choosing Health?" summaries.

Accidents submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Accidental injury is a leading cause of child death in England and Wales. Around 2.7 million accidents that lead people to seek hospital treatment occur in UK homes each year, over 40% of them caused by falls. Half a million people in England are admitted to hospital due to accidental injury each year. Treating injury costs the NHS over £2 billion a year. The cost to society of accidents in the home was estimated at £25 billion in 1996. Over 300,000 people are killed or injured in road traffic accidents in Great Britain each year. Falls are a major cause of disability and the leading cause of injury mortality in people aged over 75 in England and Wales. Onethird to one half of people aged over 65 fall each year. Over 400,000 older people in England attend accident and emergency departments following a fall. Up to 14,000 people die annually in the UK as a result of an osteoporotic hip fracture.

Alcohol submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths each year are associated with alcohol misuse, mainly resulting from stroke, cancer, liver disease, accidental injury or suicide. Around 1 million children live in families where one or both parents misuse alcohol. 5.9 million people in England drink above the Government’s recommended daily guidelines on some occasions. Around 25% of children aged 11–15 drink alcohol, and they drink an average of around 10 units per week. 360,000 incidents of domestic violence are linked to alcohol misuse, around a third of all domestic violence. Half of all violent crimes are alcoholrelated. Up to 17 million days absent from work are alcoholrelated. Alcohol misuse is associated with 150,000 hospital admissions each year. Around 70% of A&E attendances between midnight and 5am on weekend nights are alcohol related. The loss to the economy of premature death from alcohol misuse is around £2.4 billion each year.

Diet and Nutrition submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Most children and adults do not meet dietary recommendations. An estimated one in three deaths from cancer and one in three deaths from coronary heart disease are attributable to poor diet. Consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk from heart disease, stroke and cancer by up to 20%. A reduction in the salt intake of the population to 6g per day would result in an estimated reduced incidence of coronary heart disease by 6%, stroke by 15%, and hypertension by 17%. Reducing fat intake, particularly saturated fat, can help lower the risk of coronary heart disease and some cancers. Infants who are breastfed are five times less likely to be admitted to hospital in the first year of life with infections and are less likely to become obese in later childhood. Mothers who breastfeed their baby are less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer. Treating ill health related to poor diet is estimated to cost the NHS at least £4 billion each year.

Inequalities submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

There are great differences in life expectancy, for example males in Manchester have a life expectancy almost eight and a half years less than males in East Dorset. The incidence of lung cancer among men and women in the most deprived areas is around twice that in the most affluent areas, and death rates are about two and a half times higher. Death rates from circulatory disease (coronary heart disease, stroke and related diseases) are over 25% higher in the North West than in the South East of England. Pakistani and Black Caribbean women are much more likely to have high blood pressure than women in the general population. In England and Wales, babies of mothers born in Pakistan have a death rate that is more than double the overall infant mortality rate. In England, the proportion of Bangladeshi men who smoke is over 50% higher than the national average, and the proportion of Chinese men who smoke is almost 40% lower. Women in routine occupations are twice as likely to be obese as women in professional occupations.

Mental Health submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Workrelated stress affects about one in five workers or approximately 5 million people. Stressrelated conditions are now the commonest reported cause of sickness absence. 865,900 adults on Incapacity Benefit in England report their primary condition to be mental ill health. One in 10 children under the age of 16 have a mental health problem. Among 11–15 year olds, 13% of boys and 10% of girls have a mental health problem. One in six adults at any one time has a mental health problem – maybe as many as 9 million people are affected. Up to 670,000 people in the UK have some form of dementia – 5% of people over 65 and up to 20% of people over 80. Up to one in four consultations with a GP concern mental health issues. As many as 630,000 people are in contact with specialised mental health services at any one time.

Obesity submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Obesity and overweight increase the risk of the biggest killer diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The prevalence of obesity has trebled since the 1980s, and well over half of all adults are either overweight or obese – almost 24 million adults. If the number of obese children continues to rise, children will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. If current trends continue, at least one-third of adults, one-fifth of boys and one-third of girls will be obese by 2020. The cost of obesity is estimated at up to £3.7 billion per year, including £49 million for treating obesity, £1.1 billion for treating the consequences of obesity, and indirect costs of £1.1 billion for premature death and £1.45 billion for sickness absence. The cost of obesity plus overweight is estimated at up to £7.4 billion per year. Burning off the calories in a fast food chain’s cheeseburger, fries and a shake equates to a nine-mile walk.

Physical Activity submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Physically active people have 20–30% reduced risk of premature death and up to 50% reduced risk of major chronic disease such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Six out of ten men and seven out of ten women are not active enough to benefit their health. In the last 25 years, the distance people walk or cycle has fallen by a quarter. Three out of ten boys and four out of ten girls are not meeting the recommended hour a day of physical activity for children. Activity in childhood helps healthy growth and development. Physical activity decreases with age: seven out of ten men and eight out of ten women aged 75 years and above are inactive. Regular activity helps maintain mobility and independent living.

Sexual Health submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Research suggests that sexual risktaking behaviour is increasing across the population. HIV prevalence in adults increased by 20% to 49,500 in 2002. An estimated 31% of people with HIV in the UK remain undiagnosed. New HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals continue to rise (by 27% between 2002 and 2003). New HIV diagnoses in gay men are also increasing. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and affects an estimated one in ten sexually active young women. Infections reported in sexual health clinics increased by 9% to over 89,000 in 2003. If left untreated it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Other STIs are also increasing. In 2003, cases of genital warts increased by 2% to 70,883 and syphilis increased by 28% to 1,575. Delays in access to diagnoses and treatment lead to more people being infected with STIs. Nearly a quarter of all pregnancies in England and Wales end in abortion. Three in ten of these women have already had one or more previous abortions.

Substance Misuse submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Around 4 million people use at least one illicit drug each year and around 1 million people use at least one of the most dangerous drugs (such as ecstasy, heroin and cocaine) classified as Class A. There are around 250,000 ‘problematic’ drug users in England and Wales. Drug misuse gives rise to between £10 billion and £18 billion a year in social and economic costs. Volatile substance abuse (VSA), the deliberate inhalation of volatile substances such as lighter fuel, glue or aerosols, is responsible for more deaths in young people aged 10 to 16 in England and Wales than illegal drugs.

Tobacco submitted by WHIG Administrator — last modified 2005-10-04 16:29

Smoking is the UK’s single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death. More than 120,000 people in the UK die from smoking each year. Currently around 10 million adults in England smoke. 26% of adults smoke (25% of women, 27% of men). 9% of 11–15 year olds are smokers. 70% of smokers say they want to give up. Smoking causes a wide range of illnesses, including various cancers (lung cancer is the most significant), respiratory diseases and heart disease. Smoking costs the NHS between £1.4 and £1.7 billion a year in England.