2. Comenius Project Phase 3

3. The Health of Britain By Emily Moss

4. 1. Check your weight Obesity causes 9,000 premature deaths every year and, on average, reduces life expectancy by nine years. Nearly 1/3 women and 4/10 men in England are overweight.

5. 2. Drink less Regularly drinking more alcohol than is advised by the NHS can lead to a wide range of long-term health problems, including cancers, strokes and heart attacks. Men who regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day are 3 times more likely to have a stroke.

6. 3. Eat less salt and fat Excessive salt and fat in our diets are a major cause of chronic illnesses. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure and make you 3 times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

7. 5. Eat more fruit and veg Eating at least 400g of fruit and vegetables a day can lower your risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. For a healthy and balanced diet, try to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

8. Other tips… -Keep stress in check -Improve your sleep -Quit smoking -Get a sexual health test -Check that lump

9. Mapping Britain’s Health The place with the most McDonald’s outlets is Manchester- 1 for every 15,269 people The highest rate of depression is in Liverpool- almost 1 in 5 Liverpudlians suffer from depression Worst access to a GP is in the East Midlands- 1 doctor for every 1,698 people The best access to a GP is in Scotland- 1 doctor for every 1,238 people Shortest life expectancy is in Glasgow- 69.3 years The longest life expectancy in men and women is in Kensington and Chelsea- 82 years (men) 86 years (women) The biggest sweet eaters are the North-East- 148g per person per week

10. How healthy is Stroud compared to the rest of Britain? Data from a survey of the local population in 2009 indicates that 79.9% of respondents reported having overall good health and wellbeing. The information from the JSNA shows that the life expectancy is better than the England average. However, Stroud has areas of health and wellbeing both better and worse than the Gloucestershire and England averages: Better than county or England -Lower early death rate from respiratory diseases (England) -Lower death rate from breast cancer than both (county and England) -Lower rate of anxiety and depression (county and England) -Lower rate of children living in poverty (county and England) -Under 16 and under 18 teenage pregnancy rates are lower (county and England) Better than county or England -Lower early death rate from respiratory diseases (England) -Lower death rate from breast cancer than both (county and England) -Lower rate of anxiety and depression (county and England) -Lower rate of children living in poverty (county and England) -Under 16 and under 18 teenage pregnancy rates are lower (county and England) Worse than county or England -Higher early death rate from coronary heart disease (county) but lower than the England rate -Higher rate of new cases of malignant melanoma (county and England) -Highest rate of new cases of breast cancer in the county and this is higher than the England rate -Higher rate of excess winter deaths (county and England) Worse than county or England -Higher early death rate from coronary heart disease (county) but lower than the England rate -Higher rate of new cases of malignant melanoma (county and England) -Highest rate of new cases of breast cancer in the county and this is higher than the England rate -Higher rate of excess winter deaths (county and England)

11. Making Stroud even healthier Stroud has a higher rate of new cases of malignant melanoma and breast cancer than both the county and England and, in the case of breast cancer, it is the highest in the county. To try and combat this, the council could fund awareness and support groups. These would provide people with someone to talk to that understands what they are going through. Local secondary schools and youth centres could be targeted, as well as events, such as yoga classes, with their permission. People could bring along their experiences to help others recognise the symptoms and know how important it is to pick them up in the early stages and how. Also, where to go and what to do for help. After all, 1/3 people in England is diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life and, although cancer usually affects older people, it can occur at any age. Advertising and fund raising events, although typical, do also provide major boosts in awareness and bring communities together to help each other. With breast cancer it’s as simple as TLC... TOUCH your breasts. Can you feel anything unusual? LOOK for changes. Is there any change in shape or texture? CHECK anything unusual with your doctor. However, not everyone is aware of this.

13. Ramadan and the Olympics …to fast or not to fast? To Fast… “He will continue his fasting and during his fasting if he feels tired and he cannot continue to complete his fasting up to sunset, he has permission from Islam to break his fast and eat. He will replace it after Ramadan.” "If you're running 100 metres or weightlifting, what you eat in the few hours beforehand will have no impact on performance" To Fast… “He will continue his fasting and during his fasting if he feels tired and he cannot continue to complete his fasting up to sunset, he has permission from Islam to break his fast and eat. He will replace it after Ramadan.” "If you're running 100 metres or weightlifting, what you eat in the few hours beforehand will have no impact on performance" Not to Fast… British rower Mo Sbihi said he planned to postpone his fasting “It is a massive risk to fast and compete. My power output could decrease, or I could collapse during the race. This is the last Olympics for some people and I would not want to risk their chances or my own. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us, and I would not want to ruin it,” he told the UK’s Standard newspaper. In events that last for more than about 30 minutes, or that take place late in the day, performance may suffer. Not to Fast… British rower Mo Sbihi said he planned to postpone his fasting “It is a massive risk to fast and compete. My power output could decrease, or I could collapse during the race. This is the last Olympics for some people and I would not want to risk their chances or my own. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us, and I would not want to ruin it,” he told the UK’s Standard newspaper. In events that last for more than about 30 minutes, or that take place late in the day, performance may suffer. Muslim athletes competing in the Olympic Games are facing a tough decision. The event will clash with the holiest month of the year in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, when Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset, a requirement that could hamper their performance. Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain said, ''Our athletes are used to this. If you follow your religion, it is consented in some cases to break the fast and then to make up for this at a later date. It is a matter for the individual: some prefer to carry on with their fast''.