It's risky being Scottish

Friday, June 11, 2010

Virtually everyone in Scotland is putting themselves at risk because of the unhealthy way they lead their lives, a new study has suggested.

Glasgow University researchers analysed data from 6,574 people who took part in the 2003 Scottish Health Survey. The researchers identified the five factors which contributed most to disease in richer countries - smoking, drinking, poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity.

They found that 97 per cent of Scots had at least one of the risk factors. Some 55 per cent of the population had three or more, while 20 per cent had four or all five risk factors. Poverty was found to increase the risks.

Writing in the online journal BMC Public Health, the researchers concluded: "The Scottish population seems to be living dangerously. Considering five major risk factors to health – cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity, and overweight - nearly the whole adult population (97.5 per cent) have at least one behavioural risk factor."

Dr David Conway who led the study, said: "Our analysis shows that around two-thirds of the Scottish population is overweight or obese, a similar proportion are not sufficiently physically active, and most people have a poor diet. It is just that it is not the same majority for each factor. The most important determinants for multiple risk factors were low educational attainment and residence in our most deprived communities."

Scotland has earned the reputation as the "sick man" of Europe in recent years.
The country has higher death rates from cancer, heart disease and stroke than anywhere else in the UK.