Health chief urges 'wrap up'

Warm clothes help keep body heat in

Britons preparing for cold winter weather need to learn from people who spend half their lives in freezing temperatures, according to a public health expert.

Tony Jewell, of the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority, said Scandinavians cope better with the chill because they used simple methods of protecting themselves, such as always wearing hats when outside.

He said: "If you walk around any of the major towns in the region on a cold day, you will hardly see anyone wearing a scarf, hat or gloves.

"But, if you went on the streets of Helsinki, you would see everyone wearing them. They have a completely different attitude to the cold.

"Even if you pop out to the shops for 20 minutes, you still need to wrap up well."

Dr Jewell said official figures showed an increase in mortality for each one degree fall in temperature below 18C - with the increase higher for London than European countries such as Finland, the Netherlands and northern Italy.

Dr Jewell says the elderly are at greater risk in the cold

In the east of England overall, mortality rates rose by about 26% between December and March - compared with the rest of the year.

Dr Jewell said: "We tend to be complacent about cold weather in this country.

"People in Scandinavia take much better precautions against the cold and are much better prepared as a result.

"Having to live with the cold is very natural in those countries and we could learn some important lessons from them."

Health risks

He said falling temperatures could lead to a higher risk of colds or influenza, and a reduction in body temperature could lead to a rise in blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack - especially for the elderly.

"It is vitally important that people wrap up well when going outside, that they keep their homes warm, eat at least one hot meal a day, have plenty of hot drinks, take care when walking on slippery pavements, plan well for long journeys and be extra careful when driving on icy roads.

"Keeping active is an excellent way to stay warm", Dr Jewell added.

He said people should keep an eye out for elderly neighbours and children during cold snaps, and prepare for being stranded on the road during a blizzard.