Shock as UK drops down global women's health league for fourth year in a row
Scroll down for how other nation's around the world have scored
UK WOMEN FAILED Shock as UK drops down global women's health league for fourth year in a row
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE UK has dropped down a global women's health league for the fourth year in a row.
Countries such as Kosovo, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia ranked better.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
British women are more likely to experience poor emotional health and chronic pain than the EU average, it was revealed.
The UK — the sixth richest nation in the world — ranks 41st out of 142 in the Hologic Global Women's Health Index.
That is down from 37 last year and 30 in 2023.
The annual league is based on polls of more than 78,000 women globally.
It showed maternity care quality has declined and women here are less likely than in similar nations to be checked for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
British women also report higher rates of sadness, stress and anger than five years ago.
Tim Simpson, of health tech firm Hologic, said: 'This is a four-year decline that no one can ignore.'
Janet Lindsay, boss of charity Wellbeing of Women, said: 'These figures are unacceptable for one of the world's wealthier nations. They reflect long- standing under-investment.'
The report scores countries out of 100 based on women's responses on issues such as illness, personal safety, medical care and mental health.
Top of the table was Taiwan (68) and Kuwait (67).
Millions of women live life according to their menstrual cycle, study shows
The UK scored 59, behind USA (60), Kazakhstan (63), Saudi Arabia (63) and Kosovo (60).
We placed 23rd out of 31 in Europe.
The Department of Health said: 'We're on a mission to get the NHS working for women. Equality will be at the heart of our Ten-Year Health Plan.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
A holiday doesn't have to wreck your fitness routine. Here's how
The summer holidays mean time for a break — from work, waking up early and ideally the British weather. But if we take time out from the gym too, will the break undermine all our hard-won progress? 'There's a reason why we're constantly talking about rest, and it's because most of us don't get enough of it,' says Alina Cox, head female trainer at the Club Q, a private gym in London. 'Stress and constant stimulation have become the norm.' In fact taking a break can be beneficial to your mind and body. This is what you need to know about rest. Rest isn't just about not reading your emails after 5pm. 'To rest means to take complete time off in order to replenish physically and mentally,' explains the sports therapist Kate Siobhan Taylor, who says you'll know you're in need of a rest when your performance starts declining — be that in the office or at the gym. There are different types of rest — including physical, mental, emotional and social. Which type you need 'depends on the kind of stress you're experiencing', Cox says. 'If you feel physically exhausted, a nap will be better than a heavy workout. On the other hand, if you're emotionally stressed, a challenging boxing workout might be exactly what you need.' Cox adds: 'Almost any activity can be considered a form of rest, as long as it brings you calm and relaxation.' • Should a workout hurt? And how much pain is too much? Two weeks off won't undo all your progress in the gym. In fact researchers at Arizona State University, the Federal University of Viçosa and the Federal University of Ceara found that even people who have been lifting weights for only 12 weeks usually maintained their muscle mass after a fortnight off. Cox says it could take up to three months or longer for consistent gym-goers to begin losing muscle mass. Cardio, however, is a different case. A study in the European Journal of Sports Science found that two weeks off can lead to a decline in the markers of cardiovascular fitness, such as your resting heart rate and your general ability to exercise at pace. The greatest impact occurred between two to six weeks off. It's not the end of the world. 'Whether it's swimming, hiking or other recreational sports, you're still likely to be active on holiday, so the overall loss in cardiovascular fitness may not be that significant,' Cox says. • How can runners prevent injury? Five tricks to try Other benefits to taking a break include reducing your stress and, in turn, improving your productivity when you return. 'But one of the most significant advantages is related to a boost in motivation,' Cox says. You don't need to decamp to the Continent to feel mentally refreshed. In a 2020 study at the University of Massachusetts, researchers examined the impact of an eight-week mindfulness programme on the athletic performance of a women's rowing team. The study revealed a range of mental benefits, including improved psychological wellbeing and sleep quality, as well as enhanced athletic performance and coping skills. • Keep injuring yourself? Try these seven exercise swaps Picking wisely from the resort buffet can help make up for the workouts you're skipping. 'If you aren't encouraging muscle growth through exercise, you can do it through good-quality protein intake,' Taylor says. A holiday diet high in fish and colourful vegetables can help with the repair of muscle tissue while you're away — and leave you raring to go when you get home.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Simple change in diets could save NHS £5bn - Labour's plan to fight obesity
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Environment Secretary Steve Reed as they outline plans to make Britain healthier, boost British farming and slash hospital waiting times If overweight Brits drank one less fizzy drink a day, it could reduce the obesity epidemic by enough to save the NHS £5 billion a year. That's the message from Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Environment Secretary Steve Reed as they outline plans to make Britain healthier, boost British farming and slash hospital waiting times. Food retailers and manufacturers will "make the healthy choice the easy choice" in partnership with the government. As part of the government's 10-year plan for the NHS, supermarkets will aim to make the average shopping basket of goods slightly healthier. This could be through tweaking recipes, changing shop layouts or offering discount and loyalty scheme incentives to promote healthier options. "It's become too easy to get hold of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat and too difficult to find healthier alternatives," the two ministers wrote in a joint article for this newspaper. They added this was "increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer and costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year." The government estimates obesity would be halved if everyone who is overweight reduced their diets by 216 calories a day - the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink. They wrote: "That would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again." Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, including among children. A forthcoming report by the Chief Medical Officer will reveal more than 1 in 5 children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school. That figure rises to almost 1 in 3 in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation. Central to the 10-year NHS plan will be a shift in focus from treatment to prevention, creating what ministers describe as a "more active state". Alongside the push for healthier supermarket shops, access to weight-loss injections is likely to be increased to reduce obesity. Meanwhile, patients will decide how much cash hospitals get from the government by rating their treatment as part of the 10-year plan. And for the first time, pay for doctors and nurses will be linked to their success in bringing down waiting lists. Mr Reed said a joined-up strategy was needed to tackle obesity while backing Britain's farmers and food producers. "Britain has some of the best farmers, growers, food manufacturers and retailers in the world, which means we have more choice than ever before on our shelves," he said. "It is vital for the nation that the food industry delivers healthy food, that is available, affordable and appealing. "Our food strategy will bring together the health plan, food producers and retailers to make sure we can feed the nation more healthily while growing the economic success of our food sector." Mr Streeting added: "Our brilliant supermarkets already do so much work for our communities and are trying to make their stores heathier, and we want to work with them and other businesses to create a level playing field. "Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure." Supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury's - as well as a raft of health charities - welcomed the move. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said: "All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good quality, affordable and healthy food. "At Tesco, we have measured and published our own healthier food sales for a number of years now - we believe it is key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions." And Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury's added: "We're passionate about making good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone and have been championing the need for mandatory health reporting, across the food industry for many years. "Today's announcement from Government is an important and positive step forward in helping the nation to eat well. We need a level playing field across the entirety of our food sector for these actions to have a real and lasting impact. "We look forward to working across Government and our wider industry on the further development of these policies and in helping to drive improved health outcomes across our nation." John Maingay, Director of Policy at the British Heart Foundation said: "A new standard to make meals across the UK healthier is a huge step towards creating a food environment that supports better heart health. This move recognises the vital role that businesses can play in supporting everyone to have a healthier diet. Katharine Jenner, Director, Obesity Health Alliance said: 'This is a fair and evidence-based prescription for better health; big businesses urgently need the government to level the playing field to help them focus on selling products that help people live well. 'The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult. Crucially, it puts the spotlight on the food industry and commits to holding it accountable for providing healthier options - rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by.' Our plan for a healthier nation By STEVE REED, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and WES STREETING, Secretary of State for Department for Health and Social Care Our nation is facing an obesity epidemic. The UK now has the third highest rate of obesity in Europe, with almost two thirds of adults in England overweight. And shocking figures show more than 1 in 5 children will be obese by the time they leave primary school, a figure that rises to 1 in 3 in the poorest areas. This is no accident. The health and wealth of our nation is dependent on the food available to shoppers and the food we produce on our farms. It's become too easy to get hold of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat and too difficult to find healthier alternatives, increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer and costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year. And we have lacked a coherent strategy to get more of our British farmers' world-leading produce into our shops. That's why this Government is tackling these problems now and for the future. We are launching a 10 Year Health Plan alongside the Food Strategy, and central to that will be a world-first partnership with the food industry to help people make healthier choices about what they eat. Food businesses will be required to report on how much healthy food they are selling, and using this information we'll work with the industry to set realistic targets to improve people's diets and health. This new approach to healthy food will help families make smarter choices, without putting unnecessary burdens on businesses. Businesses will have the freedom to meet the new standard however works for them. That could mean changing ingredients to make products more nutritious, altering shop layouts to encourage better choices, or changing loyalty schemes to promote healthier options. But to support this, we need our food industry to offer products that are affordable and appealing. Food that is good for our health produced in ways that don't harm the planet. At the same time, we are backing British farmers by committing to increase investment in food production, leading to more profitable farms and cutting-edge food manufacturing. We're setting ambitious goals– but the rewards for success are huge. Our ambition is for this generation of children to be the healthiest ever. If we can cut the average daily diet by just 50 calories – a portion of popcorn – we could stop 340,000 children and 2 million adults from being obese. Reduce diets by 216 calories – a single bottle of fizzy drink – and we could halve obesity. That would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again. By bringing Britain back to health, we'll get our NHS fighting fit. Greater prosperity in our farming businesses means more jobs, food that is better for our health, and exports to get the best of British food on plates around the world. We know our food system needs a clear vision to get healthier food on our plates and more investment in our farming and food businesses. This is why our strategies for health and food go hand-in-hand. As part of the Government's Plan for Change, we are building the foundations to make our country healthier and wealthier once again.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Overweight Brits to get awarded shop vouchers for upping step count and eating healthily
The new measures are part of Labour's 10 Year Health Plan set to be unveiled on Thursday WEIGH TO GO Overweight Brits to get awarded shop vouchers for upping step count and eating healthily Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OVERWEIGHT Brits will get shop vouchers to help shed the pounds. An NHS plan will see users awarded points for upping their step count and eating healthily. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Wes Streeting said: 'We're bringing together tech, business, the NHS, and citizens to get Britain moving and helping drive down waiting lists' Credit: Getty They can then be traded for vouchers, with discounts at supermarkets and coffee shops. Details are still being finalised but it is expected users will link health data on their smartphones to the NHS app. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'We're bringing together tech, business, the NHS, and citizens to get Britain moving and helping drive down waiting lists. 'During a cost-of-living crisis, we're not going to make food more expensive or ban treats — we're not the fun police. 'Our approach is more nudge than nanny.' The new measures are part of Labour's 10 Year Health Plan set to be unveiled on Thursday. Supermarkets will be forced to promote healthy products such as fruit and vegetables instead of chocolate and crisps. Sir Brendan Foster, long-distance Olympian and founder of the Great North Run, will also help in a new campaign to get people exercising. Sir Brendan Foster, long-distance Olympian and founder of the Great North Run, will also help in a new campaign to get people exercising. The Government says reducing daily intake by just 50 calories could lift 340,000 children and two million adults out of obesity. Treating obesity-related conditions costs the NHS £11.4billion a year. Mr Streeting added: 'If we don't tackle the rising tide of costs and demand on the NHS, then we won't have an NHS much longer.'
