Teenage girls in Britain 'among most unhealthy in Europe'

Teenage girls in Britain are so unhealthy that they are as likely to die prematurely as those in former Eastern Bloc countries, it has been warned.

According to research by the University of Washington, 15-year-olds from the UK have as much chance of dying before reaching the age of 60 as those from Slovenia and Albania.

Although adult mortality rates in Britain have improved over recent decades, Denmark and Belgium were the only countries in western Europe where women were found to have a higher risk of early death.

It is believed the poor rates could be explained by the unhealthy lifestyles led by many teens, which are increasingly characterised by binge drinking, smoking and obesity.

Speaking to the Telegraph, the Royal College of Physicians' Professor Ian Gilmore said that British women are "catching up" with men in terms of diseases linked to smoking and drinking.

"We really need to be tackling the preventable causes of premature death and that is to do with health inequalities," he added.

Lifestyle factors such as smoking, binge drinking and obesity have been shown to increase the risk of cancers, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions.

As such, they can have a bearing on health insurance premiums.

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