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

[BePunnyLilacCrow]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20q07w3gl9o

I just read an article about healthy life expectancy in the UK, and I find it quite sad that we are basically at the bottom of the list among the world’s richest countries. Even the US is better than the UK on average??

Life expectancy in the UK is:

Men: ~79-80 years
Women: ~83-84 years

BUT

Men spend about 19–20 years in poorer health
Women spend about 22–23 years in poorer health

I know that the UK has relatively good overall life expectancy, but that mainly means we are keeping people alive for longer. Unfortunately, those extra years are often not spent in good health. These facts are not true for wealthier parts of the UK, but even the more affluent areas still tend to have lower healthy life expectancy than many average European countries. I am curious what
people think about the contributing factors? I think:

• Weaker family/social connections (I seriously think this is a big one)
• Obviously diet + high consumption of UPFs
• Low every day
activity (again, loneliness contributes to this esp. for the elderly)

There are many reasons, but in my opinion these contribute a lot. Especially weak social life I see in the UK compared to most countries I’ve lived/been to. For example something as simple as cooking together with people, or for family gatherings etc can have a huge impact on how people eat, because you are encouraged more to home cook food in that way, rather than just get a greasy takeaway or eat out, or just get a rubbish supermarket ready meals most people have etc.

This post is not about judging anyone’s lifestyle choices. But I think we should all be concerned about this because there is no point in living longer if it’s spent in illness. And I’m saying this as someone under 30.

What do you think? How can we improve these measures and live a better life in the UK?

Has the weather changed a lot since past decades when we were healthier, though?

I understand this is difficult...and probably something you've tried anyway..

But have you tried gently suggesting better diet or exercise options? Does she just not want to consider any change?

So many factors:

terrible weather for being active
huge majority of jobs being sedentary
poor public transport resulting in driving everywhere
time poor which impacts food and exercise choices
how we socialise is alcohol based - it is a part of our culture
ever increasing junk food
nhs getting worse and worse

It's got warmer if anything.

"Who is going to choose to walk to the shops or whatever when they can just hop in the car and stay warm and dry?"
In the past people have walked to the shops whatever the weather and that probably contributed to lower obesity rates and healthier old age.

You say you're pushed for time yet how much time have you spent responding on this thread instead of doing something more productive?

The UK likely has more socioeconomic inequality vs other countries which feeds into healthcare.

I don’t think the NHS model is working personally.

The loss of NHS dental care and austerity didn't help.

Ignorance isn't an excuse.

I know life is really hard if you're poor in this society.

But people can educate themselves! The Internet is available. Libraries with books and Internet at least in some areas.

If you choose to have kids you can't just feed them crap and say you didn't know any better so it's not your fault.

I agree with you. I also think the demise of the high street plays a part - how many of us have no choice but to drive to a big out of townTesco/Asda to do our food shop (or get it delivered) because there's nowhere else to buy food from?

Yes absolutely, the fittest I’ve been is when I worked in town and didn’t have a car. I walked because it was the easiest option. Food bought frequently as it had to fit in the pushchair and be pushed home! That sort of lifestyle was much more common before than it is now.

I am doing something productive! 😆 I am waiting for my dc to finish their extracurricular and walking around the park/doing lunges & squats & using MNs to stop me getting bored whilst I walk in circles.

But I can’t fit that in everyday & I would rather do fun exercise as opposed to walking laps

I walk a lot but I have a desk job so want to do more. And my commute is now a drive due to hours & needing to collect dc.

Again, people exercised and kids played out despite weather in the past.

It's not that awful anyway. If cold and wet weather stopped exercise, surely coldest countries would have least exercise - but is this the case?

I've had great sun (Londoner) the last few days. We do have spring and summer and as pp said, it's got warmer if anything.

I thunk a lot of people are much too negative on here about UK weather- why?

I'm just really not convinced that everyone is soooo busy that they can't possibly dedicate 30 minutes a few times a week to doing a home workout on YouTube or going for a walk or using a walking pad at their desks etc.

People would rather do other things (and I can't blame them a lot of the time) but that doesn't mean they're pushed for time, they're just prioritising other things (like you prioritising your DC's activities over your ability to do something you'd enjoy more).

I'd actually see it from a different angle, that plenty of people who would otherwise be dead are being kept alive with modern drugs and medical care.

I'd like to know if the same criteria for "poorer health" are used for all countries or does each country set its own criteria or is it self reported by the individuals?

@marsbarslice but I haven’t argued no one can fit in 30 mins of exercise?

I park a distance from work and try and get a walk in my lunch break, I still only get 3500 steps on an average day until I get home from work.

Walking pad? I’m public sector so lucky to find a decent chair!

Well imo I am pushed for time if I have to work & prioritise my dc because it’s not an option for me to not do either…

It would be interesting to see how much ill health is due to a lack of HRT after the menopause.

With things like lifestyle that isn’t something that can really be solved in older age, to reduce chances of things like low bone density people need to have put the work in by the time they hit their mid thirties. People who aren’t already active in their mid twenties are unlikely to put the work in after then, people generally become less active, its rarer to increase activity levels in early middle age.

Diet is clearly a problem, but really for most of us thats kind of set in early childhood, changing your relationship with food as an adult is incredibly hard.

Fewer people smoke and we no longer have smoking in indoor public spaces, so that will be beneficial to people under 35.

I don’t think it’s the weather either. Other countries have similar or colder.

It’s more likely attitude. Any excuse etc that other cultures have less of

I'm just saying that lots of people claim they're pushed for time when actually they're just choosing to prioritise other things over their health.

For example you're choosing to send your DC to activities and spend that time walking around the carpark doing squats when you could skip the activity and all do something else instead (like a bike ride, a walk, swimming, playing tennis or football etc).

And that's fine, it's a totally valid choice - but it's not the only choice you have.

I think they did quite a lot of home economics in the 40s, 50s and 60s when our current crop of older but in poorer health people were born.

I think the weather is a big part, even down to older people who deteriorate after slips and falls

I honestly do think it's attitude.

This thread alone is filled with people making excuses as to why they couldn't possibly prioritise X or do Y, lol.

It’s obesity

But you could argue it is also because we have free healthcare. The NHS kept my Mother alive for about 5 years longer than she should have been. My friends Mother is being tube fed currently, she is in her eighties it’s barbaric how some are kept going. There is a very heartfelt post I commented on yesterday from a woman whose Mother is alive but it’s no life for her Mother.

I completely agree with you. It's convenient. How many of us take the car to the shop because we're too lazy to walk. I'm guilty of this.

A lot of children aren't used to walking anywhere.

I understand exhaustion. As a single mum I cooked for my ds all through breast cancer, chemo, radio. I was fit to drop most nights but I didn't resort to chicken nuggets. Just as I don't give up running charity 10ks now I'm in my 60s, because I know it keeps my bones and lungs and immune system strong. Being outside boosts my mood and gives me vit d.

Education is the key.