County’s obesity levels are higher than average (From Worcester News)

County’s obesity levels are higher than average

2:19pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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OBESITY is a problem in towns such as Droitwich, Pershore and Evesham where more than a quarter of the population is overweight, according to a key national report.

The health of people in the Wychavon district is better than average and the area has no serious deprivation.

However, there is higher than average obesity and injuries and deaths from road accidents.

In the district 26 per cent of the adult population is obese, more than two per cent higher than the England average.

Dr Richard Harling, director of public health for NHS Worcestershire, said: “The report shows that health in Wychavon is better than the England average and has been improving.

“However it also confirms that the big challenge to health in the district is from lifestyles. Sixteen residents every month die from smoking while one in six adults continues to smoke.

“One quarter of the adult population and one in 12 children are obese and 200 adults are admitted every month to hospital with alcohol-related illnesses.”

The health profile, published this week by the Department of Health, shows people live longer than the average for the rest of England and there are low levels of deprivation and child poverty.

Not a single person in the district, which has a population of 117,100 people, was classed as “deprived” according to the national statistics.

The England average is 20 per cent of the Worcester figure 17 per cent and the Malvern figure 2 per cent.

Deprivation is measured by a number of indicators such as unemployment levels, housing and life expectancy.

Low levels of deprivation means less difference between the fortunes of rich and poor – men from the least deprived areas in Wychavon live about 4.4 years longer than those in the most deprived (it is about nine years difference in Worcester and eight-and-a-half in Malvern).

There is also a higher number of deaths and injuries through road accidents in Wychavon than the England average – 70 for every 100,000 people 2005-07 – compared with 54 in England, although the figure is still lower than Malvern Hills where the figure is 75.

Men live to the age of 79 years on average and women to the age of 84 years, both above average.

A snapshot of Wychavon's health

• Violent crime is lower than average in Wychavon – there were eight such incidents per 1,000 people in Wychavon compared with the England average of 18.

• Infant deaths were very low with two per 1,000 live births – the England average is 5.

• The average number of teeth per five-year-old child which were actively decayed, filled or extracted was 0.8 per cent – the England average is 1.5 per cent.

• Teenage pregnancy in women under 18 is 26 per 1,000 females, lower than the England average of 41.

• The Department of Health has identified the following priorities for Wychavon – to cut road deaths, smoking and obesity in adults and children.

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