It's healthy living in Somerset - that's official!

PEOPLE in Yeovil and across Somerset are among the healthiest and longest living in the country, new figures have revealed.

The figures published today on the Public Health England website ‘Longer Lives’ rate Somerset in the top 20 per cent of 150 local authorities in England.

The rating looks at death rates for the four major causes of premature death: cancer, heart disease, lung disease and stroke. Overall, Somerset was rated 26th out of the 150 local authorities in England.

Somerset County Council’s public health team has welcomed the news, but emphasised the need for more work to reduce the 1,500 people dying prematurely in the county every year.

Acting director of public health, Trudi Grant, said: ‘’These figures are encouraging, but there is still a long away to go.

‘’Smoking, for example, is the leading risk factor for premature death and our stop smoking services have had excellent success, helping more than half of their clients to have quit by four weeks. So, we would urge smokers in Somerset to investigate what is on offer.

“There are still hundreds of premature deaths that could be avoided and we will continue working closely with the Health and Wellbeing Board to address these issues.”

Although the new data presents a relatively rosy picture of health in Somerset, it is estimated that two thirds of the premature deaths are avoidable and this could be drastically reduced by stopping smoking, improving diet, increasing physical activity and getting an early diagnosis.

Longer Lives is a new initiative from Public Health England which puts high level insights into relative levels of premature death for each local authority across the country, together with guidance on relevant interventions.

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