PUBLIC Health England (PHE) is urging adults in Gloucestershire to take action about their health, citing figures which show they are taking many unnecessary risks.

PHE is particularly encouraging those aged 40-60 to take its One You campaign’s How Are You quiz, which will give a live assessment of their current health and wellbeing.

Levels of alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and obesity are generally increasing amongst South West adults. Only rates of smoking are showing signs of declining.

PHE’s One You campaign is today reaching out to the six in ten people who are either overweight or obese, the four in ten who are physically inactive, and the one in five who exceed the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) alcohol guidelines to provide free support and tools to help them live more healthily in 2017 and beyond.

This is also a national problem. Across England, 77% of men and 63% of women in middle age are overweight or obese3. Obesity in adults has shot up 16% in the last 20 years. The diabetes rate among this age group also doubled.

People are being urged to take a moment to consider their health and the simple steps they can take to improve it in the run up to the New Year, by taking the One You online quiz.

The How Are You quiz, takes lifestyle information, gives a health score and then links to free localised information and tools for making positive improvements.

More than 1.1 million people across England have taken the quiz so far and where appropriate, been directed to download our apps like Couch to 5K, Alcohol Checker and Easy Meals. Nearly a quarter of a million people downloaded Couch to 5K to help them release the benefits of running to their health.

Russ Moody, Health and Wellbeing Programme Lead for Public Health England South West, said: “People are busy with work, with families, with the daily grind and sometimes their own health is the least of their priorities.

“The How Are You quiz will help anyone who wants to take a few minutes to take stock and find out quickly where they can take a little action to make a big difference to their health.”

Professor Sir Muir Gray, Clinical Adviser for the One You campaign, said: “The demands of modern day living are taking their toll on the health of the nation, and it’s those in middle age that are suffering the consequences most, as their health reaches worrying new levels.

“Over 15 million Britons are living with a long term health condition5, and busy lives and desk jobs make it difficult to live healthily. But just making a few small changes will have significant benefits to people’s health now and in later life.”