Ever thought that living in the UK could have a knock-on effect on how long you live?
Well, according to The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) European Health Report 2015, British women's life expectancy is the second worst in Europe. We are ranked at a startling 14th, out of 15 European countries in the study.
If that isn’t shocking enough, we also have high death rates from cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
The WHO study found that women born in 2011 are expected to live to 82.7 years, with only females in Denmark projected to live shorter lives than us.
Those born in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Germany (along with many others) can all expect to live longer than us.
In contrast, it appears that Men in the UK can expect to live as long as their European counterparts.
The report highlighted that across Europe the risk factors for early death are “alarmingly high” such as, levels of alcohol consumption, tobacco use and the number of people who are overweight or obese. Experts have said that these high levels of lifestyle related diseases could be one of the reasons our life expectancy ranks so low in the EU.
According to The Telegraph, research found last week that a staggering 40 per cent of NHS resources are spent dealing with illnesses caused by potentially preventable factors, such as diet, alcohol and smoking.
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said: "It is deeply concerning that the UK is lagging behind almost all of the most developed nations in Europe in terms of average life expectancy for women. Even within England, women in the areas with the highest life expectancy live almost seven years longer than those with the lowest.
"Healthy behaviours, whatever your age, and effective care and support can help people have longer, healthier lives than ever before."
In light of this, here’s some tips from us on how to stay healthier.