Health crisis for Britain's middle-aged

• British middle-aged fare worst in the world for health
• 45-54 year olds suffer worse physical and mental health than all other generations

Middle-aged Britons are experiencing a mid-life health crisis, according to new research from Bupa, which shows that those aged 45-54 are more likely to be obese, more likely to smoke and more likely to suffer from depression than their peers around the world.

The international Bupa Health Pulse study, which asked more than 13,000 people in 12 different countries questions about their health and lifestyles has shown that late-middle age is the toughest time health-wise for Britons. No other country in the survey - which included Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia showed such a consistent range of unhealthy results for this age group¹.

The study, which questioned more than 2,000 people in the UK, found:

• Obesity: Over a third (35%) of British 45-54 year olds are obese - double the international average for this age group (17%).²
• Smoking: A quarter (24%) of 45-54 year old smokers get through 10 or more cigarettes a day compared with  an international average of 18 percent.³
• Depression: Over a quarter (27%) of those polled in this age group say they suffer from depression compared with just 17 per cent internationally.
• Negative outlook: Nearly half of British 45-54 year olds (45%) say they feel negative about their financial situation, 30 per cent feel negative about their career and 21 per cent feel negative about life in general - all higher than the international average.⁴

Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director, Bupa International, said:

 The Bupa Health Pulse survey makes alarming reading for a generation of Britons. The research reveals not only that Britain's middle-aged are suffering from a health crisis, but also that the problem is particularly apparent in Britain. People hitting 45 often find the unhealthy excesses of their youth are catching up with them just at the time when their financial and personal responsibilities are growing and they are increasingly time poor. These combined elements mean that, for this age group, health can fall down their list of priorities. Fortunately however, there are no medical reasons why middle aged Britons should fare worse for health than other age groups, or their peers around world - so it's possible to tackle this trend. While Bupa's research shows that no one country in the world has the perfect formula for good health, the fact that this middle aged health crisis is a UK dominant problem, demonstrates that there is much we can and must learn from other countries. 

 Bupa recommends the following:

• Be more self-aware. Britons need to face the reality of their poor health. In the UK, where we have an obesity problem, more people are overweight than think they are. In Asian countries, including Thailand, China and Hong Kong where they predominately have a healthy BMI, more people think they're overweight than those who actually are.⁵
• Reprioritise. Britons need to achieve a better work/life balance and to appreciate that emotional health is intrinsically linked to good health. Latin American countries are the most upbeat and positive about life, their health and the future. In the UK, we could learn from Mexico and Brazil where they have stronger emphasis on social life, and prioritise family and friends.⁶
• Challenge the status quo. Britons should challenge their social norms. In India where people's social lives predominately revolve around family activities, very few people drink alcohol. In the UK, where more people drink than in any other country, people's social lives often revolve around the local pub.  We have room to be more inventive with what we do socially, and come up with healthier alternatives.⁷
• Look East for nutritional inspiration. Britons could do with taking a good look at their diet and take inspiration from other countries. In Asia, where rates of obesity are much lower than in the UK, they have much less salt, saturated fat and sugar in their diets than in Western countries.  They also eat more vegetables and fruit.  It is often easier than it seems to experiment with your diet.

Ends

Notes to Editors

Visit bupa.com/healthpulse for the report:Bupa Health Pulse 2011: International Healthcare Survey - Global Trends, Attitudes and Influencesand further information about the survey.

Interviews with Dr Sneh Khemka available on request.

The Bupa Health Pulse Survey 2011

The annual international Bupa Health Pulse survey of over 13,000 people around the world explores people's attitudes to and perceptions of health and healthcare. Its aim is to deepen understanding not only of trends in health, but also the influences and behaviours which account for those trends.

Ipsos MORI interviewed 13,373 members of the General Public across 12 countries between 22 April and 23 May 2011. These were: Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, UK and US.

All interviews took place through Ipsos online panels and Ipsos panel partners. Quotas were set as to ensure all data is as nationally representative of the offline population as possible. Data are weighted.

• Visit www.bupa.co.uk/health for free, trustworthy health information on hundreds of medical conditions, tests and treatments and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. All information is written by professional health writers and approved by medical experts.
• bupa.co.uk is one of the few health websites to be award the Information Standard quality mark from the Department of Health. It was also awarded the 2010 Plain English Campaign's web award for online clarity.

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About Us

Bupa's purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives. 

A leading international healthcare group, we offer personal and company health insurance, run care homes for older people and hospitals and provide workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare. 

With no shareholders, we are able to invest profits to provide more and better healthcare.  We are committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing.

Employing nearly 52,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America. 

For more information, visit www.bupa.com