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Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Main cause of ill health in teenagers uncovered - it's not smoking or alcohol
A new Lancet study shows obesity and mental health problems are now the biggest problems facing younger people as half a billion teens across the globe are predicted to be overweight by 2030 Junk food has taken over cigarettes and alcohol as the main cause of ill health among teenagers, a Lancet review suggests. Experts predict half a billion teenagers around the world will be overweight or obese by 2030 while weight gain and mental health problems are now the biggest health dangers for the young. The Lancet Commission found adolescent health is at a "tipping point". It reports that mental health among teenagers has seen a "significant decline" over the past three decades, which was exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. It also projects that 464 million teenagers around the world will be overweight or obese by 2030 - 143 million more than in 2015. Commission co-chairwoman Professor Sarah Baird, from George Washington University in the US, said: "The health and wellbeing of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades. "Whilst tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eight-fold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally.' The Office for National Statistics' Annual Population Survey estimated last October that about six million adults smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2023, the lowest proportion since records began in 2011. The Lancet report said: 'Adolescence is a time of dramatic growth in human intelligence and cognitive capability. It is also the period when lifetime behavioural habits and patterns are forged—for good and for bad. Globally, 83% of lifetime smokers begin smoking by age 24 years. 'Substantial progress has been made in reducing health risks related to substance use (ie, binge drinking and tobacco smoking) across all regions. Targets set in 2016 are likely to be met by 2030 for female adolescents and might be met for male adolescents. 'Progress towards meeting targets related to nutritional risk has been much less impressive. The risk of overweight and obesity has substantially increased across all regions.' The authors of the report also highlighted how the shift towards a "more digital world" could have a "profound impact on young people's future health and wellbeing". But they warned against "overly restricting" access, saying there needs to be a balance, highlighting that the online world offers teenagers new opportunities for social interaction, education and employment. The report said: 'Adolescence is also well recognised as a time of risk for mental health - three quarters of lifetime mental disorders have their onset before the age of 24 years.' Professor Baird added: "The challenges faced by the world's adolescents are at risk of being exacerbated by emerging global issues including climate change, world conflicts and a rapid transition to a more digital world. Investing in the health and wellbeing of young people is crucial for safeguarding our collective future."
Epoch Times
05-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Workless ‘Lost Generation' Suffering Mental Health Issues: Report
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is warning of a workless 'lost generation,' caused partly by the number of young people suffering from poor mental health. The body is calling for immediate government action which it says is needed to help young people from generation Z, generally defined as those born between 1997–2012, to enter the workplace or education. 'Double Whammy' Shevaun Haviland, director general of the BCC, said: 'The UK's active workforce is rapidly ageing, while the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training is at its highest level for a decade. 'Generation Z face a double whammy of increasing barriers to entering the workforce, and reducing opportunities as the number of vacancies continues to fall. 'But research shows the longer we leave this pool of talent to drift away from the workplace the harder it becomes for them to engage.' The BCC, which represents a large number of smaller businesses, is calling on the government to spend more on mental health support and further education and for a more 'collaborative approach' across the various Whitehall departments. 'Rise of Anxiety' Related Stories 8/14/2024 4/9/2024 'One clear trend is the rise of anxiety particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Annual Population Survey show that prior to the pandemic, self-reported levels of anxiety in the population were relatively stable. Since 2019, however, the number of people reporting high levels of anxiety has surged and remained high, with 23 per cent of working-age adults reporting 'poor anxiety' in 2023,' authors for the former prime minister's organisation wrote. Mental health conditions are now the most commonly reason cited by people across all age groups who are out of work owing to long-term sickness, the report by the TBI notes. 'The reasons behind this shift remain unclear. It may reflect a rise in true prevalence, but other factors could also be at play – such as distorted financial incentives within the system, overdiagnosis or changing public attitudes and awareness around mental health. 'Whatever the cause, one thing is clear: the current trajectory is unsustainable,' the authors concluded. The study highlights a 168 percent reported increase in depression, anxiety, and stress among those aged 16–24 in the two decades ending in 2019, with a 42 percent rise seen across all age groups. It also notes a doubling in the prescribing of ADHD medication since 2018–2019, with the younger age group the main driver behind this increase. Surging Benefits Bill Claims for mental health conditions have fuelled a nationwide surge in benefits payments since the lockdown era, with an estimated 25 percent in income tax predicted to be used to fund sickness benefits by the end of this decade, unless the trajectory changes. An estimated 13.4 percent of all young people aged 16 to 24 were classed as NEET ('not in education, employment, or training') in October to December 2024, an increase of 1.3 percent compared with October to December 2023, according to the The precise figures are not reliable, because they are based on the statistics agency's labour market survey, which is hampered by low response rates, especially for younger age groups. Signage for the Department of Work and Pensions in Westminster, London, in an undated file photo. PA Almost half (46 percent) of those surveyed told The King's Trust researchers they have additional mental health issues or caring responsibilities owing to the lockdown era which meant they were out of work. More than half (52 percent), said the longer they were unemployed, the harder they were finding it to get work, while 45 percent said being out of work meant they had lost confidence in their skills. Youth Guarantee Scheme Last month, the government announced a series of welfare reforms, including sweeping cuts to disability benefits and an expansion of so-called 'back-to-work support,' which it said will help young people diagnosed with mental health problems to enter the workforce. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced a Youth Guarantee Scheme in November, aimed at giving all 18- to 21-year-olds access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work, as part of a broader strategy aimed at tackling worklessness and ill health in the wider population. Releasing its 'Young people have also been left behind with one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, and nine million adults lack the essential skills they need to get on in work.' The government proposes to set up eight youth 'trailblazer' areas across the country, allocating £45 million to identify those 'most at risk of falling out of education or employment and match them to opportunities for education, training or work,' with a further £40 million allocated to transform the Apprenticeship system. However, the BCC said in its report that there was a lack of clarity as to how the youth guarantee scheme will work in practice, and whether there will be sufficient funding to last the entire course of the next Parliament. 'Details of how this will be delivered, and the role of employers, are still unclear. While employers want to support the initiative, the rising cost of employment and the squeeze on training budgets could restrict their ability to participate.' The BCC noted that there is a 'lack of incentive' for small- and medium-sized businesses to take on young people, particularly those classed as NEET, because of the financial risk. 'Employers report that young people are more resource-intensive to train and employ, due to their increased need for pastoral care, and their higher staff turnover. Combined with the likelihood that NEETs may have additional needs such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) or mental health challenges, resource-stretched SMEs may feel unable to offer the support needed,' the authors said, adding that the role of government should be to 'derisk' this for businesses that take on and retain these young people.
South Wales Argus
02-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Wales sees biggest drop in male STEM roles in UK
An analysis of the Annual Population Survey by Burgess Hill Girls School revealed a 10.32 per cent decrease in male STEM roles in Wales between January to December 2021 and October 2023 to September 2024. This suggests that a tenth of males previously working in STEM roles in Wales may have been replaced or left the sector entirely. Women also saw a drop in STEM roles, with a 9.50 per cent decrease. Despite the overall decline, Wales has seen relatively stable STEM employment figures between 2021 and 2023/24, with only minor shifts in the composition of top careers. The most common STEM occupation for women remains nursing, with women making up more than 88 per cent of all 'other nursing professionals' in 2023/24. There was growth in female representation in software development, increasing by 28.57 per cent, and women also saw an 8.33 per cent increase in generalist medical practitioner roles. Anne Pithie, director of marketing and communications at Burgess Hill Girls, said: "We often hear about the importance of women in STEM, but phrases like this and the numbers behind them are often used without context. "Seeing numbers fall in STEM occupations is disappointing, especially seeing numbers for women fall at a higher rate when they're already under-represented. "If we want to see these numbers moving in the right direction, we all have a responsibility to ensure that as many doors are open, giving all children the ability to walk through them."
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3.24 percent of people in Reading unable to work due to sickness
3.24% of the population in Reading are unable to work due to sickness. A list showing the estimated proportion of the workforce who are economically inactive because of sickness in every upper-tier local authority in England, along with every council area in Scotland and Wales has been calculated by the Department for Work and Pensions. These are based on responses collected as part of the Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey for 2024. Upper-tier local authorities in England are county councils, London boroughs, Metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities. The following local authorities are not included in the list because of a small sample size: Bexley (London); City of London; Kingston upon Thames (London); Isles of Scilly; Na h-Eileanan Siar; Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. A figure is given for the whole of Northern Ireland as there is no local breakdown available. Workforce refers to people aged 16 to 64. People are classed as economically inactive if they are of working age and not in employment but not currently looking for work. Reading ranks very low on the list. From the list of local authorities, the Berkshire town is the 12th from the lowest. Wokingham, West Berkshire and Bracknell Forest are even lower on the list with under three percent of unemployment.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Proportion of workforce economically inactive because of sickness, by local area
Here is a list showing the estimated proportion of the workforce who are economically inactive because of sickness in every upper-tier local authority in England, along with every council area in Scotland and Wales. The figures have been published by the Department for Work and Pensions and are based on responses collected as part of the Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey for 2024. Upper-tier local authorities in England are county councils, London boroughs, Metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities. The following local authorities are not included in the list because of a small sample size: Bexley (London); City of London; Kingston upon Thames (London); Isles of Scilly; Na h-Eileanan Siar; Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. A figure is given for the whole of Northern Ireland as there is no local breakdown available. Workforce refers to people aged 16 to 64. People are classed as economically inactive if they are of working age and not in employment but not currently looking for work. The list is ordered by the proportion of the workforce estimated to be economically inactive because of long or short-term sickness in 2024, starting with the highest. Clackmannanshire (Scotland) 17.40%Blackpool (Lancashire) 16.90%Neath Port Talbot (Wales) 16.53%North Ayrshire (Scotland) 15.31%Merthyr Tydfil (Wales) 15.19%North Lanarkshire (Scotland) 14.48%Bolton (Greater Manchester) 14.42%South Tyneside (Tyne & Wear) 14.03%Torfaen (Wales) 13.82%Knowsley (Merseyside) 13.81%North East Lincolnshire 13.31%West Dunbartonshire (Scotland) 13.25%Middlesbrough (Tees Valley) 13.19%Hartlepool (Tees Valley) 12.97%Bridgend (Wales) 12.94%Salford (Greater Manchester) 12.85%Carmarthenshire (Wales) 12.51%Nottingham 12.51%Blaenau Gwent (Wales) 12.45%Sandwell (West Midlands) 12.24%Hull 12.13%Dundee (Scotland) 12.02%Halton (Cheshire) 11.97%Wigan (Greater Manchester) 11.94%Highland (Scotland) 11.90%North Tyneside (Tyne & Wear) 11.86%Calderdale (West Yorkshire) 11.77%Wolverhampton (West Midlands) 11.76%Bury (Greater Manchester) 11.68%Rhondda Cynon Taf (Wales) 11.59%Inverclyde (Scotland) 11.43%Torbay (Devon) 11.37%Stoke-on-Trent (Staffordshire) 11.34%County Durham 11.32%North Lincolnshire 11.14%Rochdale (Greater Manchester) 11.14%Angus (Scotland) 11.14%East Ayrshire (Scotland) 11.08%Argyll & Bute (Scotland) 11.05%Plymouth (Devon) 10.95%Redcar & Cleveland (Tees Valley) 10.90%Rotherham (South Yorkshire) 10.85%Enfield (London) 10.82%Tameside (Greater Manchester) 10.72%Blackburn with Darwen (Lancashire) 10.69%Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) 10.68%South Ayrshire (Scotland) 10.67%Tower Hamlets (London) 10.57%West Lothian (Scotland) 10.56%Northumberland 10.35%Sunderland (Tyne & Wear) 10.30%St Helens (Merseyside) 10.19%Dumfries & Galloway (Scotland) 10.06%Fife (Scotland) 10.05%Northern Ireland 10.03%Caerphilly (Wales) 9.93%South Lanarkshire (Scotland) 9.80%Conwy (Wales) 9.73%Liverpool (Merseyside) 9.71%Glasgow (Scotland) 9.69%Cumbria 9.62%Stockport (Greater Manchester) 9.60%Barnsley (South Yorkshire) 9.46%Gwynedd (Wales) 9.42%Swansea (Wales) 9.40%Wakefield (West Yorkshire) 9.24%Lincolnshire 9.22%Midlothian (Scotland) 9.11%Gateshead (Tyne & Wear) 9.07%Powys (Wales) 9.02%Pembrokeshire (Wales) 8.99%Oldham (Greater Manchester) 8.85%East Lothian (Scotland) 8.67%Luton (Bedfordshire) 8.64%Stockton-on-Tees (Tees Valley) 8.53%Dudley (West Midlands) 8.49%Cornwall 8.43%Falkirk (Scotland) 8.28%Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Dorset) 8.27%Wirral (Merseyside) 8.24%Scottish Borders (Scotland) 8.22%Renfrewshire (Scotland) 8.20%Southend-on-Sea (Essex) 8.20%Birmingham (West Midlands) 8.14%Coventry (West Midlands) 8.07%Lancashire 8.06%Doncaster (South Yorkshire) 8.02%Barking & Dagenham (London) 8.01%Darlington (Tees Valley) 8.00%Sheffield (South Yorkshire) 7.98%Suffolk 7.94%Manchester (Greater Manchester) 7.81%Leeds (West Yorkshire) 7.77%Newcastle upon Tyne (Tyne & Wear) 7.73%East Dunbartonshire (Scotland) 7.71%Cardiff (Wales) 7.68%Telford & Wrekin (Shropshire) 7.54%Denbighshire (Wales) 7.48%Newport (Wales) 7.37%East Riding of Yorkshire 7.27%Bristol 7.27%Flintshire (Wales) 7.22%Leicester 7.09%Hounslow (London) 7.04%Isle of Anglesey (Wales) 7.00%Kirklees (West Yorkshire) 6.91%North Northamptonshire 6.91%Staffordshire 6.82%North Yorkshire 6.80%Norfolk 6.71%Perth & Kinross (Scotland) 6.62%Bradford (West Yorkshire) 6.53%Essex 6.47%Isle of Wight (Hampshire) 6.43%Lewisham (London) 6.38%North Somerset 6.36%Ceredigion (Wales) 6.34%Solihull (West Midlands) 6.25%Nottinghamshire 6.24%Central Bedfordshire (Bedfordshire) 6.02%Greenwich (London) 5.94%Moray (Scotland) 5.93%Camden (London) 5.91%Barnet (London) 5.88%Croydon (London) 5.88%Sefton (Merseyside) 5.87%Somerset 5.86%Warrington (Cheshire) 5.78%East Sussex 5.76%Devon 5.67%Waltham Forest (London) 5.65%Warwickshire 5.60%Kent 5.60%York (North Yorkshire) 5.57%Medway (Kent) 5.56%Aberdeenshire (Scotland) 5.54%Hammersmith and Fulham (London) 5.53%Bromley (London) 5.47%Wrexham (Wales) 5.47%Derby 5.34%Cheshire West & Chester (Cheshire) 5.31%Dorset 5.30%Islington (London) 5.22%Bath & North East Somerset 5.13%Southampton (Hampshire) 5.07%Derbyshire 5.07%Monmouthshire (Wales) 5.05%Cambridgeshire 5.04%Newham (London) 5.03%Hampshire 4.99%West Sussex 4.98%Portsmouth (Hampshire) 4.96%Wiltshire 4.89%Bedford (Bedfordshire) 4.88%Thurrock (Essex) 4.88%Swindon (Wiltshire) 4.85%Slough (Berkshire) 4.73%Worcestershire 4.71%Ealing (London) 4.70%Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) 4.69%Aberdeen City (Scotland) 4.64%South Gloucestershire 4.49%Brent (London) 4.48%Hackney (London) 4.48%Surrey 4.47%Walsall (West Midlands) 4.46%Kensington & Chelsea (London) 4.42%West Northamptonshire 4.40%Stirling (Scotland) 4.17%Haringey (London) 4.15%Merton (London) 4.14%Redbridge (London) 4.09%East Renfrewshire (Scotland) 4.08%Herefordshire 4.07%Brighton & Hove (East Sussex) 4.04%Trafford (Greater Manchester) 4.03%Edinburgh (Scotland) 3.92%Hertfordshire 3.91%Leicestershire 3.84%Harrow (London) 3.76%Windsor & Maidenhead (Berkshire) 3.75%Shropshire 3.71%Vale of Glamorgan (Wales) 3.68%Southwark (London) 3.49%Gloucestershire 3.48%Hillingdon (London) 3.46%Sutton (London) 3.33%Reading (Berkshire) 3.24%Buckinghamshire 3.20%Richmond upon Thames (London) 3.05%Oxfordshire 2.99%Bracknell Forest (Berkshire) 2.98%Havering (London) 2.55%West Berkshire (Berkshire) 2.54%Cheshire East (Cheshire) 2.39%Rutland 2.35%Wokingham (Berkshire) 1.85%Westminster (London) 1.40%Wandsworth (London) 1.39%Lambeth (London) 1.05%
