Latest news
Three in four Hertfordshire residents need more physical activity
Three-quarters of people in Hertfordshire need to significantly improve their health, according to an online questionnaire.
More than 6,000 Hertfordshire residents have taken a ‘How Are You?’ questionnaire to get their health score.
The online quiz was launched in March, and analysis of health scores so far shows that the majority of people scored seven out of ten, which means there is room for improvement. However, one in five people scored five or less.
The questionnaire also gives an indication of how people are doing with behaviours such as moving, eating, drinking and smoking. The results show that only a quarter of people who took the quiz are getting enough physical activity, with 74 per cent in the amber or red zone, which means they could significantly improve their health with some simple changes.
Nearly one in five residents carry out very little physical activity at all, getting less than five minutes a day.
The results for eating and drinking fared a little better but still most people were in the amber zone - this means they are having too little fruit and vegetables or eating too many unhealthy snacks each day. One in three people are drinking too much alcohol.
The questionnaire is part of a Public Health England campaign to help people get healthier and happier. It has developed healthy food apps and drink tracker apps to get people back on track.
Everyday habits and behaviours, such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than is recommended, continuing to smoke and not being active enough, are responsible for around 40% of all deaths in England, and cost the NHS more than £11bn a year.
So far, more than 1m people have completed the questionnaire nationally.
For more information and to take the quiz go to www.nhs.uk/oneyou