Health Inequalities

Posted By: Wera Hobhouse
Date Posted: 06/10/2009

Almost on the same day the Local NHS published data last week about a ten year gap in life expectancy in different parts of the borough a national headline stated that more than half of the children born in 2000 could expect to live to a hundred.
Statistics are a difficult beast and some of the information needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. But there are some very clear messages coming from all the statistics and forecasts: Life expectancy and life styles are inseparable.
Life expectancy has dramatically increased over the last fifty to a hundred years. A lot of this is due to massive scientific improvements in medicine. But the way we live is just as important. For example our homes are a lot warmer and drier, working conditions are a lot safer and our diet has completely changed.
That in 2009 people in better off areas live on average 9 years longer than people in our worst off areas is a shocking statistic. The reason for this is not that people in, for example, Falinge start life with more genetic health problems; or that the air in Kirkholt is worse than in Littleborough; or that doctors in Alkrington are better trained or health facilities are worse in Langley. The main reason for this big difference in life expectancy is life styles. Some of that is undoubtedly linked to wealth but many life style choices have nothing to do with money.
Among the biggest killers nationwide are heart disease, strokes and cancers. All of them are linked in one way or other to life style choices like smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, diet and exercise.
Of course it doesn’t mean that if you don’t drink and smoke, have a healthy diet and exercise you won’t get ill. But the chances are a lot higher that you won’t.
The Council and ‘its partners’ are now particularly focussing on trying to make people change their life style where it leads to a much increased risk of becoming ill. This is a difficult and long-term challenge, statistics won’t change tomorrow and there is no easy way of measuring how successful the council is, but medicine alone can not tackle our health inequalities.