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 | | From: | POB | | Subject: | Scottish Health | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 19:48:22 +0000 |
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 | Why is it so bad?
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/news/2000/12/se3120.asp
The latest Scottish Health Survey, published today, provides
encouraging evidence that, in some areas of their lifestyle, the Scots
are now beginning to heed the messages about the link between
lifestyle and good health. But the Survey also confirms that there is
still a long way to go before we achieve the level of lifestyle change
which will deliver better health to the population as a whole.
The Survey aims to monitor trends in our health, identify risk factors
associated with particular health conditions, look at the differences
between regions and subgroups of the population, and enable
comparisons to be made with the position in England.
The Survey covers a representative sample of 13,000 Scots between the
ages of two and 74 years living in private households. Members of each
household were interviewed and their medical information collected by
a nurse in the course of the Survey fieldwork which was commenced in
April 1998 and ended in May 1999.
Key points included:
* Over half of adults and children ate potatoes, pasta or rice at
least once a day. 46 per cent of men and 59 per cent of women in the
16 to 74 age group ate fresh fruit at least once a day as did 54 per
cent of boys and 26 per cent of girls aged two to 15. Around half of
adults and children ate white fish every week, while four in ten ate
oil-rich fish each week.
* A third of both men and women reported that they smoked
cigarettes. 16% of boys and 15% of girls aged 13-15 had saliva
cotinine levels which would indicate regular smoking behaviour.
However, levels of self-reported smoking were much lower, suggesting
substantial under-reporting of smoking behaviour among this age group.
* The prevalence of problem drinking decreased with age: among men
from 16% for those aged 16-24 to 7% for those aged 65-74; among women,
from 8% to 2% respectively.
* Some 9% of girls and 12% of boys reported having drunk alcohol
in the past week.
* 38% of men and 27% of women participated in 30 minutes or more
of moderate or vigorous activity on at least 5 days per week, while
just under one quarter of men and women were inactive according to
this guideline.
* 73% of boys and 60% of girls participated in physical activities
for at least 60 minutes on most days in the last week.
* Around 24% of men and women had a cardiovascular disorder. Of
these:
* over 30% were current cigarette smokers;
* 31% of men drank in excess of 21 units of alcohol a week and
over 8% of women drank in excess of 14 units a week;
* over 38% of men and 35% of women were physically inactive;
* over 77% of men and 73% of women were either overweight or
obese.
One of the most important aspects of the Survey programme is the
ability to monitor changes in the population's health over time.
Changes to lifestyle and behaviour cannot be accomplished overnight.
However, some encouraging signs are beginning to emerge. For example,
since 1995, among the 16-64 age group there has been:
* a 6% increase in the numbers eating fruit at least once a day.
* an increase by over 9% in the numbers eating potatoes, pasta or
rice five or more times a week.
* a decrease by over 2% in the numbers who usually or generally
add salt to food at the table.
However, not all the results are positive. For example:
* a 3% increase in the prevalence of obesity
* although there was a 3% decrease in the number of women smoking
cigarettes, there was a 1% increase in young women smokers. There was
also a 2% increase in the number of male smokers.
* physical activity levels remain inadequate.
Thus the Survey is giving out a very clear message that the Scottish
Executive must continue to take vigorous and concerted action across
all four fronts of smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and physical
exercise if we are to achieve the reduction in the prevalence of
Scotland's 3 main killer diseases - heart disease, cancer and strokes.
This action is being spearheaded by the Executive through its
implementation of the White Paper, "Towards a Healthier Scotland", in
collaboration with its key partners - the NHS, local authorities, the
voluntary and private sectors and the community.
Current and planned action is wide-ranging and includes, for example,
the progressive implementation of the White Paper, "Smoking Kills";
the appointment, in the New Year, of a national diet action
co-ordinator to give further momentum to the work being taken forward
under the Scottish Diet Action Plan, "Eating for Health"; the
development of a new national strategy on alcohol misuse; the
appointment, also in the New Year, of a Task Force to develop a
comprehensive national Physical Activity Strategy; the establishment
of four Health Demonstration Projects, supported by £15 million,
covering coronary heart disease, cancer, child health and ual
health; and the creation of the Health Improvement Fund which, in this
year alone, is providing £26 million of new resources.
In addition, the Executive's wider social inclusion policies to
improve people's life circumstances, such as housing, employment,
education and so on, will lead to better health, particularly for
deprived communities.
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| | From: | TheLongestYard | | Subject: | Re: Scottish Health | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 16:16:26 -0500 |
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"POB" wrote in message
news:9kv7v0p9aut326d9mrjm1a9qqn34rj4rvp@4ax.com...
> Why is it so bad?
4 words: Deep Fried Mars Bars
>
> http://www.scotland.gov.uk/news/2000/12/se3120.asp
>
> The latest Scottish Health Survey, published today, provides
> encouraging evidence that, in some areas of their lifestyle, the Scots
> are now beginning to heed the messages about the link between
> lifestyle and good health. But the Survey also confirms that there is
> still a long way to go before we achieve the level of lifestyle change
> which will deliver better health to the population as a whole.
>
> The Survey aims to monitor trends in our health, identify risk factors
> associated with particular health conditions, look at the differences
> between regions and subgroups of the population, and enable
> comparisons to be made with the position in England.
>
> The Survey covers a representative sample of 13,000 Scots between the
> ages of two and 74 years living in private households. Members of each
> household were interviewed and their medical information collected by
> a nurse in the course of the Survey fieldwork which was commenced in
> April 1998 and ended in May 1999.
>
> Key points included:
>
> * Over half of adults and children ate potatoes, pasta or rice at
> least once a day. 46 per cent of men and 59 per cent of women in the
> 16 to 74 age group ate fresh fruit at least once a day as did 54 per
> cent of boys and 26 per cent of girls aged two to 15. Around half of
> adults and children ate white fish every week, while four in ten ate
> oil-rich fish each week.
> * A third of both men and women reported that they smoked
> cigarettes. 16% of boys and 15% of girls aged 13-15 had saliva
> cotinine levels which would indicate regular smoking behaviour.
> However, levels of self-reported smoking were much lower, suggesting
> substantial under-reporting of smoking behaviour among this age group.
> * The prevalence of problem drinking decreased with age: among men
> from 16% for those aged 16-24 to 7% for those aged 65-74; among women,
> from 8% to 2% respectively.
> * Some 9% of girls and 12% of boys reported having drunk alcohol
> in the past week.
> * 38% of men and 27% of women participated in 30 minutes or more
> of moderate or vigorous activity on at least 5 days per week, while
> just under one quarter of men and women were inactive according to
> this guideline.
> * 73% of boys and 60% of girls participated in physical activities
> for at least 60 minutes on most days in the last week.
> * Around 24% of men and women had a cardiovascular disorder. Of
> these:
> * over 30% were current cigarette smokers;
> * 31% of men drank in excess of 21 units of alcohol a week and
> over 8% of women drank in excess of 14 units a week;
> * over 38% of men and 35% of women were physically inactive;
> * over 77% of men and 73% of women were either overweight or
> obese.
>
> One of the most important aspects of the Survey programme is the
> ability to monitor changes in the population's health over time.
> Changes to lifestyle and behaviour cannot be accomplished overnight.
> However, some encouraging signs are beginning to emerge. For example,
> since 1995, among the 16-64 age group there has been:
>
> * a 6% increase in the numbers eating fruit at least once a day.
> * an increase by over 9% in the numbers eating potatoes, pasta or
> rice five or more times a week.
> * a decrease by over 2% in the numbers who usually or generally
> add salt to food at the table.
>
> However, not all the results are positive. For example:
>
> * a 3% increase in the prevalence of obesity
> * although there was a 3% decrease in the number of women smoking
> cigarettes, there was a 1% increase in young women smokers. There was
> also a 2% increase in the number of male smokers.
> * physical activity levels remain inadequate.
>
> Thus the Survey is giving out a very clear message that the Scottish
> Executive must continue to take vigorous and concerted action across
> all four fronts of smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and physical
> exercise if we are to achieve the reduction in the prevalence of
> Scotland's 3 main killer diseases - heart disease, cancer and strokes.
> This action is being spearheaded by the Executive through its
> implementation of the White Paper, "Towards a Healthier Scotland", in
> collaboration with its key partners - the NHS, local authorities, the
> voluntary and private sectors and the community.
>
> Current and planned action is wide-ranging and includes, for example,
> the progressive implementation of the White Paper, "Smoking Kills";
> the appointment, in the New Year, of a national diet action
> co-ordinator to give further momentum to the work being taken forward
> under the Scottish Diet Action Plan, "Eating for Health"; the
> development of a new national strategy on alcohol misuse; the
> appointment, also in the New Year, of a Task Force to develop a
> comprehensive national Physical Activity Strategy; the establishment
> of four Health Demonstration Projects, supported by £15 million,
> covering coronary heart disease, cancer, child health and ual
> health; and the creation of the Health Improvement Fund which, in this
> year alone, is providing £26 million of new resources.
>
> In addition, the Executive's wider social inclusion policies to
> improve people's life circumstances, such as housing, employment,
> education and so on, will lead to better health, particularly for
> deprived communities.
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| | From: | Robert Peffers | | Subject: | Re: Scottish Health | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:57:32 -0000 |
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"TheLongestYard" wrote in message
news:ct146b$ke0$1@trsvr.tr.unisys.com...
>
> "POB" wrote in message
> news:9kv7v0p9aut326d9mrjm1a9qqn34rj4rvp@4ax.com...
>> Why is it so bad?
>
> 4 words: Deep Fried Mars Bars
>
snip
Frae Auld Bob Peffers:
If you are of the opinion that Deep Fried Mars Bars are part of the staple
diet of all Scots you are a bigger fool than I give you credit for. As far
as Scottish statistics go they are very much more subject to the sampling
used to select the participants. Scotland's people are very different in
some things but very similar in others. Her population distribution is very
different too. There are three distinct areas and the people either are also
different. Perhaps the biggest difference is between her major cities but
there is a marked difference between the Highland, Lowland and Borders way
of life. I was born in 1929 and I have never seen a deep fried Mars Bar in
my life. It is over 30 years since I ate a chocolate bar. I cannot remember
when I last bought anything from a take away. I bake my own bread and I eat
lots of fruit, veg and pulses. I eat quite a lot of fish and not a lot of
red meat. I live in a rural location, (not as rural as it once was). Not a
typical Scot you say but who is? The eating and drinking habits of Glasgow
and the WOS tend to distort the Scottish figures. That is not to say
everyone in those areas has a bad diet for I know they do not. It is the
concentration of so many people together in one area that causes the
distortion.
--
Aefauldlie, (Scots word for Honestly),
Robert, (Auld Bob), Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).
Web Site, "The Eck's Files":- http://www.peffers50.freeserve.co.uk
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| | From: | Graeme | | Subject: | Re: Scottish Health | | Date: | 24 Jan 2005 02:21:10 GMT |
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| "TheLongestYard" wrote in news:ct146b$ke0$1
@trsvr.tr.unisys.com:
>> Why is it so bad?
>
> 4 words: Deep Fried Mars Bars
Heard of them, never known anyone who's eaten one. You'll probably find
that they're almost impossible to find now anyway. Chip shops stopped doing
them as they often burst which meant an expensive change of oil.
The "deep fried Mars bar" is one of those stories that gets jumped on and
done to death by people too lazy to look beyond the myths and get to the
facts.
Graeme
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| | From: | Alan Hardie | | Subject: | Scottish Health (2) | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:08:49 -0000 |
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| Has your wife/girfriend put on weight over the Christmas period?
If so - encourage her to walk for 3 hours every morning and for 3 hours
every evening.
By the end of the week the fat cow will be 42 miles away.
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| | From: | Helen Ramsay | | Subject: | Re: Scottish Health (2) | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 17:44:17 -0500 |
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| "Alan Hardie" wrote
> Has your wife/girfriend put on weight over the Christmas period?
>
> If so - encourage her to walk for 3 hours every morning
> and for 3 hours every evening.
>
> By the end of the week the fat cow will be 42 miles away.
That's you off the Christmas card list Hardie!
'Course, on the other hand, the chauvinist pig will also be 42 miles away.
Och it's mibbe no sae bad efter a:)
--
Cheers, Helen
hramsay at cogeco dot ca
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