AIBU to think poor health in later life is a UK problem?

The SATs puts pressure on children, there's inadequate SEND provision. Stress starts from childhood in this country.

Parents pathologising normal anxious feelings about tests instead of helping children to manage these normal emotions is what causes SATs stress

Bingo 🤣

you don’t seriously think if people did home economics (they do cooking lessons in school btw) they would, as a population, live a healthier old age?! Give your head a wobble

I didnt look so dont know which other countries but
Uk weather is generally prepoorpoor. So we are build up around driving. Likewise public transport is expensive and poor.
Nhs doesnt treat all conditions. It did/doesnt recognise tsh as high until 10. Yet need around 1 for fertility. And pcos is untreated here except for fertility.
Our houses are often cold and mouldy
Perhaps there is a larger pay gap between rich and poor?
The schools are also pretty crap giving kids depression bullying etc

I think some of the issues are because gov can change nhs and schools but the person doing so doesnt need to have any knowledge at all.

we should be becoming healthier if even just from not smoking?

It's not surprising. We don't teach cooking or home economics in school any more so many people do not know how to cook.
Most parents work full time, leaving little time to teach their children to cook
The planning laws that allow endless fast food outlets, and housing shortages mean that some don't have cooking facilities.

Our school sport makes 50% of dcs loath sport and swear never to own a pair of trainers again.

I'm a single mum who cooks from scratch (financial necessity) and has taught ds. I also grow some of our fruit & veg, make our own bread etc.

The article also doesn’t speak to the trajectory. We are bringing up generations where the gym is more popular than the pub. Alcohol and smoking levels have plummeted. Health and safety and the demise of British manufacturing means far fewer people dying from work related incidents, or having their bodies and organs poisoned from back breaking work or toxic materials.

we don’t eat a fried breakfast every morning before going down the mine. We don’t spend every evening after work in the pub. We are not dropping dead from heart attacks at 55 in significant numbers. We aren’t dying in large numbers in road accidents.

You can’t even celebrate the progress, because we have to turn straight to criticising something else. It’s so weird imo

Has anyone mentioned the weather/climate yet as one of the contributing factors?

I do think the breakdown in society and lack of community spirit is a bigger factor though!

I personally don't do want govts interfering in what people eat etc as unlikely to be effective and they should butt out of people's lives. But areas they are responsible for such as the lack of good housing, few cycle lanes and penalising having children and family life in general through the benefits system all contributes to bad health.

But when comparisons are made, economic area to economic area, poverty and poor health outcomes are linked. In areas were poverty and poor housing are issues, so is obesity. The housing is dire in Blackpool. Landlords have been allowed to rent out HMOs that are outright health hazards.
No-one cares about the stress people are under. The houses in the area I live in a small two bedrooms. Families with three children are squashed in. My generation had three bed council houses to choose from. The SATs puts pressure on children, there's inadequate SEND provision. Stress starts from childhood in this country. Our local parks aren't pleasant to be in because of antisocial behaviour.

Consistent short term planning by governments. Just aiming for small targets when what we need is a long term plan to improve people’s health and wellbeing. From isolation, inactivity, poor travel infrastructure, food inequality, stress, unaffordable fitness and antisocial communal spaces discouraging exercise to NHS funding and availability. There’s no 20year plan to improve anyone’s life, which is what you need. Governments are always chasing the next election, and we all vote for whatever current issue is in the press.

But isn’t this simplistic? What possible factor could be applicable to the uk that isn’t applicable in the rest of the word? This risks falling into a “Briton’s people are all fat and thick and lonely” and if only we had fresh markets and family dinners like the French all would be good. And that’s just not the case.

People are poorer and housing is a big part of that. Lack of social interactions & community too.

It’s absolutely not a uk problem. That article compares to just 20 countries. There are 195 countries! How can it be a uk problem?

clearly many counties- including with those 21- are more obese and have poorer diets than the uk so it can’t be that - it’s obviously more complex

It’s obesity related.

We eat complete crap.

The lack of access to good healthcare really doesn't help.

I have a friend who desperately needs a breast reduction (she is a 32M. Yes, measured professionally by a reputable chain and a very good local bra shop) and has been refused multiple times despite having significant problems with her back, neck, ribs and constant irritation under her boobs.

She's saving up for one but she's had to significantly reduce how active she is because of them.