Key findings
Overweight and obesity
- 67% of men and 62% of women in England were overweight. This included 27% of men and 30% of women who were obese.
- In 2017, 30% of children aged 2 to 15 in England were overweight or obese, including 17% who were obese.
- Children’s overweight and obesity was associated with that of their parents.
Fruit and vegetable consumption
- 29% of adults ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- 18% of children aged between 5 and 15 ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Smoking
- In 2017, 17% of adults were current smokers of cigarettes.
- 6% of adults were current users of e-cigarettes.
- 80% of non-smoking children aged 4 to 15 living in a household where one or both parents currently smoked had detectable cotinine, indicating they had been exposed to second hand smoke.
Alcohol consumption
- The proportion of adults drinking at increased or higher risk of harm (more than 14 units per week) decreased between 2011 and 2017, from 34% to 28% of men, and from 18% to 14% of women.
- In 2017, 32% of children aged 13 to 15 reported having ever had a proper alcoholic drink. Small proportions of younger children had tried drinking: 2% aged 8 to 10 and 6% aged 11 to 12.
Multiple risk factors
- Five risk factors were included in the analysis:
1. current cigarette smoking
2. drinking over 14 units of alcohol a week
3. eating less than 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day
4. physical inactivity
5. obesity.
- 13% of adults had none of these risk factors, and 36% had only one risk. 32% of adults had two risks and 19% had three or more.
Cardiovascular disease
- 15% of men and 13% of women had any doctor diagnosed CVD. 6% of men and 3% of women had IHD and 3% of men and 2% women had strokes.
- CVD was more prevalent in lower income households. 22% of adults aged 35 and over in the lowest income quintile (fifth) and 16% in the highest income quintile (fifth) reported any CVD.
Adult health
- The proportion of adults with untreated hypertension (high blood pressure) declined between 2003 and 2017. Among men it fell from 20% to 12% and among women from 16% to 11%.
- Between 1998 and 2017, the proportion of adults with raised total cholesterol declined from 67% to 48%.
Diabetes
- Among adults whose blood was tested for glycated haemoglobin, 7.4% had diabetes, including 5.9% who had been diagnosed by a doctor and an additional 1.5% of adults who were found to have undiagnosed diabetes. This indicates that one in five adults with diabetes have not had their condition diagnosed by a doctor.
Chronic pain
- In 2017, 34% of adults had chronic pain.
Social care
- 23% of men and 28% of women aged 65 and over needed help with at least one Activity of Daily Living.
- 16% of adults reported providing unpaid help or support to at least one person with long-term mental or physical health problems, a disability, or with problems related to old age.
- 51% of adult carers said their caring role had affected their health.