Notes to editors
For further information, or to request an interview, please contact the Press and Public Affairs office at The King’s Fund on 020 7307 2585/82 (if you are calling out of hours, please ring 07584 146 035).
The Clustering of unhealthy behaviours over time: implications for policy and practice report analyses the proportion of the population engaging in combinations of the four major unhealthy behaviours: smoking, drinking, poor diet and lack of exercise. It has been estimated that these unhealthy behaviours account for half of the disease burden in the developed world. By reducing the number of unhealthy behaviours, mortality is reduced.
The report analysed the Health Survey for England, comparing 2003 to 2008 data sets.
The public health system in England is currently being reformed. From April 2013, local authorities will be given a ring-fenced budget to spend, a share of over £2 billion to deliver health improvement programmes
Part of the Department of Health’s vision for public health, outlined in the Public Health Outcomes Framework is 'to improve and protect the nation’s health and wellbeing, and improve the health of the poorest fastest'.