Healthy years in the UK are shrinking, ONS figures show

Office for National Statistics data show healthy life expectancy in the UK has declined; men's healthy life begins to fall at 60.7 years and women's at 60.9 years.

New data from the Office for National Statistics show that healthspan—the years lived in good health—is declining in the UK even as overall lifespan rises slowly. The report finds men's healthy life starts to decline at 60.7 years and women's at 60.9 years, down 1.8 and 2.5 years respectively from earlier figures. The article notes wide local differences and includes an interactive tool to estimate healthy life expectancy by postcode. Experts cited point to factors such as obesity, poor diet, low physical activity, and stalling progress against heart disease and cancer. Key facts: - Office for National Statistics figures report a decline in healthy life expectancy, with men's healthy years starting to fall at 60.7 and women's at 60.9, representing drops of 1.8 and 2.5 years respectively. - The article reports clear regional contrasts: Blackpool is listed among the areas with the shortest healthy lifespan (a man might live to 74 but have about 51 healthy years), while Cheshire East is cited as having one of the highest healthy life expectancies for men at around 66 years. - Experts quoted link the declines to obesity, diet and low physical activity, along with wider social determinants and variation in local health services; the piece also cites research associating regular exercise and Mediterranean-style dietary patterns with longer healthy life. Summary: The reported decline in healthy life expectancy highlights a growing gap between overall lifespan and years lived in good health, and it is uneven across local areas. The article attributes differences to a mix of lifestyle, health-service access and social factors. Undetermined at this time.