DESPITE years of healthy living messages the depressing news is that the health gap between the rich and the poor in Southampton is wider than at any point in the last two decades.

The shocking result of the latest public health survey is that your postcode is a good indication of whether or not you will meet an early death.

The research shows a strong-link between certain areas of Southampton and the New Forest and an early mortality rate.

Southampton is classed as one of the most badly affected areas in England, with five city wards fitting into the bottom ten per cent of the country's most deprived areas.

Unemployment, low income families, over-crowded housing, houses lacking basic ammeni-ties, households with no car, high rates of dropping out of education combine to make these areas fertile grounds for ill-health.

Findings included:

high rates of heart disease amongst the city's Asian population

high levels of strokes amongst the city's Caribbean population

Around 29 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women smoke

27 per cent of the population is stressed

30 per cent of the local people aged over 65 have a fall each year.

Smoking, drinking, stress, poor diet and a lack of exercise were the main culprits for causing ill-health in the city.

Pat Christmas, head of health promotion at Southampton and South West Hampshire health authority, said: "We are all living longer than ever - men to the age of 75 and women to 80 - but the quality of life in those later years differs greatly between the rich and the poor. We have to start to narrow the health gap."

She admits the healthy choice is not always the easy choice - particularly for someone living on an isolated council estate with a poor selection of local shops and an irregular, expensive transport system.

But she believes that with some help from local authorities and some more health education the lifestyles of Southampton's most deprived areas can be drastically improved.

But the message is that healthy eating really isn't that expensive. Fruit and veg is much cheaper than burgers and takeaways.

Cooking skills have gone out of the window. The level of sugar and salt in prepared food is high.

This is an area where we can lobby the government to encourage food companies to make their food more healthy.

Mrs Christmas said the answer to the South's health inequalities lay in a partnership between the NHS, local government and other agenices.

"Employment and the minimum wage have already had an impact on health. Opportunities for leisure and exercise have an effect. Good transport has an effect.

"I think we can all make a difference by tailoring health promotion programmes to the areas that need them."

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