The Big Picture
- Healthy life expectancy in the UK fell by about two years over the last decade.
- Women now expect to live in good health until only 60.9 years old.
- Men expect to stay healthy until roughly 60.7 years old.
- This means most people start facing health problems six years before they reach the state pension age (currently 66).
A Growing Gap Between Rich and Poor
- The gap between the wealthiest and poorest areas is widening.
- Women in the most deprived parts of England live in good health for only 48.2 years.
- Women in the wealthiest areas enjoy good health for 68.5 years—a massive 20-year difference.
- The UK now has the second steepest decline in healthy years among 21 high-income countries, with only the United States performing worse.
Why Is This Happening?
- While people generally live as long as they used to, they spend more of those years being sick.
- The report blames several factors, including:
- Rising levels of poverty and “deepening stress.”
- Poor quality housing that makes health worse or prevents recovery.
- A lack of stable, safe environments for children to grow up in.
The Summary
In short, the UK is “slipping behind” other nations. People are living long lives, but they are losing their health much earlier than before. Experts warn that the government must fix social issues like housing and poverty to stop this decline.
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
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