A UK city has been named the hardest place for the locals to live healthily. A recent report by the Department of Health & Social Care underscores the profound connection between our health and the environments we inhabit.
It reveals that factors such as access to nutritious food, green spaces, healthcare services, and opportunities for physical activity are heavily influenced by geographic location. Communities facing socioeconomic challenges often contend with higher rates of obesity, chronic illness, and mental health issues due to limited resources and infrastructure that support healthy living. The report emphasises that improving public health requires not only individual lifestyle changes but also systemic efforts to create healthier, more equitable living conditions across the UK.
Medical experts at ZAVA sought to investigate where exactly it is hardest to live a healthy lifestyle in England. The study combines data such as obesity rates, fast food density, and green space access to reveal where healthy living is a breeze, and where it’s an uphill battle.
And Wolverhampton has secured the top spot with a health deprivation score of 8.04/10.
Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands, faces a complex web of challenges that make healthy living particularly difficult for its residents.
With 31 percent of adults classified as obese and 34 percent reporting no regular physical activity, the city ranks among the worst in England for inactivity.
These statistics reflect a broader struggle with lifestyle-related health issues. Compounding the problem is the high density of fast food outlets—14 for every 10,000 people—which creates an environment where unhealthy eating is not only accessible but often more convenient than nutritious alternatives.
Second on the list is Stoke on Trent with a score of 7.65/10. Despite excellent green space access, with 98 percent of residents living within walking distance of parks, Stoke-on-Trent struggles with an obesity crisis, seeing the second-highest obesity rate in England at 35 percent.
The city has 10 fast food spots per 10,000 people, and nearly one in three adults (31 percent) remains physically inactive.