It's long been known that our health is intricately linked to our environment – with elements such as cleanliness, pollution and noise levels all contributing to our overall physical and mental wellbeing. So, with this in mind, where are the healthiest (and unhealthiest) places to live in the UK?
A survey rating major British cities based on variables that can have an impact on your health – from the amount of alcohol intake to the number of takeaways people order.
1. Bristol
2. Liverpool
3. Norwich
4. Newcastle
5. Leeds
Bristol takes the top spot here, with 34 per cent of residents saying they drink 2-4 glasses of water a day, and 75 per cent ordering takeaways 'less than once a week or never'.
6. Southampton
7. Manchester
8. Sheffield
9. Cardiff
10. Glasgow
But it's not looking so good for the Scots. In 10th place we have Glasgow, where 35 per cent of inhabitants admit to smoking (compared to just 8 per cent in Bristol) while 30 per cent order a takeaway 'up to twice a week'. That being said, the Glaswegians do perform pretty well when it comes to exercise, with 56 per cent exercising between one and three times a week.
Other notable statistics came in from Sheffield, where a whopping 68 per cent of those taking part claimed to have a balanced diet, and Leeds, where nearly 30 per cent drink less than one unit of alcohol per week 'or none at all'.
It also seems that, overall, the nation is generally making better lifestyle choices. 62 per cent of us don't smoke, nearly a quarter of us drink within the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week and 14 per cent report being completely teetotal. Additionally, whilst our love of junk food is still very much apparent, more than half of us have takeaways less than once a week.
The data collected for the survey came from 1000 participants segmented by city across the UK, who were asked various questions surrounding certain lifestyle choices. Each city was then scored 1-10 based on their answers, with one being the healthiest and 10 being the least healthy.
It's worth bearing in mind, though, that cities not included on the list are even unhealthier than those mentioned. London, we're looking at you...
Source: http://www.housebeautiful.co.uk