Healthy life expectancy increasing in UK

The healthy life expectancy of the average Briton is continuing to rise, new figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown.

Between 2008 and 2010, life expectancy increased by an average of more than two years, compared to the 2005 and 2007 period.

This means that in England, men can anticipate living until 64 years of age relatively free of illness, while women can look forward to 66 years of healthy life.

In Wales, both males and females can expect to reach 63 in good health, but this declines in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

People in Northern Ireland can only enjoy 59 and 62 years of healthy life for men and women respectively. This rises slightly to 60 and 64 for Scottish males and females.

This may suggest that demands on services are greater in these areas than in England and Wales.

Ed Jessop, vice president of the Faculty of Public Health, commented: "The gap between the health 'haves' and 'have nots' has widened, particularly for men living in Northern Ireland."

The release of the figures follows Besse Cooper's birthday celebrations marking 116 years of life. Now the oldest person in the world, she attributes her longevity to minding her own business and abstaining from junk food.

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