Northerners 'lead shorter lives'

Living in certain parts of the country could add a decade to your life, statistics show.

The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that life expectancy in parts of the south is better than the north of England and Scotland, where poverty and lifestyle shorten lives.

The worst male life expectancy rates

Glasgow City 68.4 years

Inverclyde 69.2

West Dumbartonshire 69.7

Manchester 70.1

Chiltern, in Buckinghamshire had the highest average life expectancy for men (78.4 years). They lived on average a decade longer than men in Glasgow City.

Women in East Dorset had the highest life expectancy of 83.5 years - an average of 8.1 years longer than those in Glasgow.

Females in East Dorset lived over 15 years longer than men in Glasgow.

The ONS report investigated geographical variations in life expectancy between 1995-1997.

Link to deprivation

Researchers found that the figures for female life expectancy in 25 authorities in Scotland, Wales and the north of England, had slumped during the last decade.

Comparisons with the Department of Environment Transport and the Regions Indices of Deprivation 2000 showed that within England decreasing life expectancy was associated with increasing deprivation.

This was found to be stronger among men than women.

Dr Peter Tiplady, chair of public health committee for England for the British Medical Association, said there is a clear "north/south gradient."

Dr Tiplady said the climate does play a part in the north's poorer health, but said that economic differences are more significant.

"People are generally poorer in the north and have less money to spend on good food, hobbies and relaxing. They are less likely to be members of spas and health clubs.

"Their diet is also linked to their disposable income," he said.

And he said that moving from north to south is unlikely to change a person's life expectancy greatly, as the lifestyle rather than location is the more important.

The worst female life expectancy rates

Glasgow City 75.4 years

North Lanarkshire 76.4

Inverclyde 76.5

West Dumbartonshire 76.6

Dr Jeff French, of the Health Development Agency (HDA) agreed changes in lifestyle could reduce the inequalities.

"The geographic differences highlighted in this report are symptomatic of differences in smoking behaviour, diet and educational attainment, among other causes of ill health.

"Evidence does exist on what works to improve public health across the population and we are working to put this evidence into practice," he said.