A recent study has ranked the UK’s healthiest cities, considering factors such as diet, exercise, smoking and sleeping habits.
The research, carried out by preventive healthcare company Selph, surveyed 2,000 Brits across 17 major cities to determine which areas most closely resemble a ‘Blue Zone’.
This term, coined by longevity expert Dan Buttener, refers to regions where people reportedly live longer due to environmental conditions and healthier habits, a concept explored in the Netflix series “Secrets of the Blue Zones”.
Although no actual ‘Blue Zones’ exist in the UK, and many studies indicate our population’s health is collectively deteriorating, some areas are healthier than others.
The results revealed Norwich as the city most aligned with the ‘Blue Zone’ lifestyle, followed closely by Nottingham and Southampton.
The study also identified Liverpool as the ‘least healthy’ city in the UK, with 10%) of respondents admitting they do not exercise at all. Regarding alcohol consumption, 22% of Liverpudlians said they have five to six drinks at a time, and a quarter drink two to three times a week.
The study considered lifestyle traits associated with ‘Blue Zones’, such as a diet of whole foods and plant-based ingredients, daily stress-reducing rituals, regular natural movement, unconscious strategies to prevent overeating, and prioritising family and close relationships.
In Norwich, no more than a quarter (24%) of people consume Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs). Those are consumed just once a week by the majority, and nearly 20% of those surveyed abstain from alcohol. If they do partake in drinking, two-fifths (40%) limit themselves to less than three drinks at a time.
In Nottingham, almost half (47%) of residents exercise four to seven days a week, and over half have never smoked or vaped.
Meanwhile, in Southampton, nearly 70% of people have never smoked or vaped, and 30% of people consume UPFs only two to three days a week.
The ranking continues with Newcastle, Plymouth, Leeds, London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow and finally Liverpool.
Dr Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph, remarks: “Essentially, people that live in Blue Zones have created a lifestyle that is centred around being healthy, both physically and mentally”.
“It’s something that may seem far removed from our culture here in the UK, as most of us live an extremely fast-paced lifestyle – putting work and money first ahead of our own health and relationships. It’s not a coincidence that people living in these Blue Zone regions live longer because they are less stressed, and prioritise their health above all else”, she explains.
Some of the world’s actual Blue Zones include Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica and Icaria in Greece.
