Britons are healthier than Americans but are more likely than their stateside counterparts to think their health is poor, a new study has found.
Almost 10,000 British people, as well as more than 5,000 US adults, in their 30s and 40s took part in the study by academics from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, University of Oxford, Syracuse University and University of North Carolina.
The research found adults in the US were more likely to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, while 40% of Americans were obese compared to 34.5% of Britons.
But 18% of British adults reported their health as poor compared to 12% of adults in the US.
Britons were also more likely to smoke daily – 28% compared to 21% in the US cohort.
The researchers said the health of the US “acts as a warning” of what Britain could be like without the “safety net” of the NHS.
Dr Charis Bridger Staatz, of the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, said that the differences in the health of the two countries may be down to “levels of exercise, diets and poverty, and limited access to free healthcare”.
“Given political and social similarities between the US and Britain, the US acts as a warning of what the state of health could be like in Britain without the safety net of the NHS and a strong welfare system.”
Professor George Ploubidis, of the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, warned that the findings – published in the International Journal of Epidemiology – “should not distract” from levels of obesity and high blood pressure in Britain.
“In some ways, these findings could be seen to paint a positive picture for the nation, as the health of adults in Britain is better than that in the USA,” he said.
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“Nevertheless, this research should not distract us from the fact that more than a third of British adults are obese and a fifth have high blood pressure in midlife.
“The new government’s pledges to cut NHS waiting times will be severely tested if this and future generations continue to age in poor health.”
The study also found that inequalities were typically wider in the US, with larger health differences between the poorest and wealthiest ends of society.
Dr Bridger Staatz said work to tackle health inequalities in Britain will be beneficial.
“In both Britain and the US, public health policies tend to focus on improving health awareness and behaviours in childhood or older age.
“However, intervening in midlife offers a great opportunity to promote healthier ageing.
“In the wake of Lord Darzi’s report into the state of the NHS, it is encouraging to hear the new prime minister prioritising a 10-year programme of reform for the health service.
“Long-term planning and investment in the NHS will likely help improve the health disparities we see in the UK and prevent the emergence of inequalities on the same scale as we see in the US. This will not only help to improve population health across life but create a happier and more prosperous society.”
