As a nation, we are increasingly unhealthy. More than a quarter (28 per cent) of adults in England are obese. More than one in five (21 per cent) are getting less than 30 minutes’ exercise a week, and 23 per cent drink too much alcohol. Despite all this, the leading cause of sickness absence is not physical but mental health problems, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Good health is unequal
Health and well-being issues are not experienced to the same degree by everybody. Women have a higher percentage of mental disorders than men in each income bracket, and almost twice as many women as men are diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The pandemic has also shone a light on health inequalities faced by black and ethnic minority communities. Rates of infant mortality, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are higher among Black and South Asian groups, for example.
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