Rest of the UK should eat like the English
Thousands of deaths caused by poor eating habits could have been prevented in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, if residents there adopted a diet like the English, research published today shows.It may not surprise some that Scotland, home to the battered Mars bar, has shown much higher diet-related mortality rates than England, but these findings suggest the rest of the UK would do well to adopt an English menu.
The study carried out at Oxford University reveals that compared to England, the rest of the UK consumes more calories and fatty foods and less fruit and veg.
This difference in diet contributes to more deaths, particularly from heart disease, with the researchers estimating that around 3,700 lives would be saved each year from heart disease and cancer if the Scots, Welsh and Irish ate like the English.
However, the academics were keen to point out that the English do not set a shining example when it comes to healthy eating.
Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, which sponsored the study, said: "The findings have thrown up some clear inequalities in the four nations and our governments must do everything they can to create environments that help people make healthy choices."
