RSS Feeds  Study: UK among unhealthiest of W. Europe nations
Tuesday - 3/5/2013, 5:51am  ET  LONDON (AP) -- A new study of
national health rates has produced "startling" results for the
United Kingdom, and they're not encouraging.  Research published
in the journal Lancet found that from 1990 to 2010, despite six
decades of free medical care and widespread health campaigns,
Britons are among the unhealthiest people in Western Europe.
The researchers say Britain is failing to address underlying
health risks including rising rates of high blood pressure,
obesity and drug and alcohol abuse. They compared the U.K. with
15 other Western European countries in addition to Australia,
Canada and the U.S.  In terms of years of life lost to health
conditions, Britain ranked just above last place for serious
respiratory infections, preterm birth complications and breast
cancer.  Overall, the U.K. was 12th for healthy life expectancy,
at 68.6 years. The United States came in 17th out of 19
countries while Spain topped t