More action needed in borough’s battle against ill health

Oct 10 2008 by Oliver Clay, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

THE life expectancy of Halton people is rising, but action on an “industrial scale” is still needed to tackle ill health.

Fiona Johnstone, Halton and St Helens PCT director of health strategy, made the comment in the foreword for the her annual report.

The Annual Report of the Director of Health addresses sickness trends in Halton for the past 10 years and looks at the work being carried out to tackle ill health.

The report considers heart disease, cancer, smoking, drink, drugs, young pregnancy, breast feeding, the health of the elderly, obesity, teeth and sex.

It says that one in two smokers will die because of the habit and people stopping smoking across the area would have the most dramatic effect on improving health.

It also highlights the benefits of a nutritious and balanced diet and recommends that food products be labelled with a star system showing how healthy they are.