May 2008 Archives

A MAJOR study into the state of Liverpool's health is published today - and the report paints a sorry picture.

The Health is Wealth Commission found that only one in ten people in the city are active and life expectancy is more than three years less than the national average - seven years less than in the South East.

One solution to the problem, according to the experts, is to work with urban planners to design a city that encourages people to get active, to walk or cycle instead of driving around in their cars and to spend time out enjoying open spaces.

Similarly Professor Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, says urban designers have created environments that encourage obesity by planning public spaces around automobiles.