Middle-age Britons most unhealthy in world

LONDON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A study of 12 nations found middle-age Britons suffer worse physical and mental health than any of the other countries studied, researchers said.

The international Bupa Health Pulse study asked more than 13,373 people in 12 countries -- Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, Britain and the United States -- questions about their health and lifestyles.

The researchers questioned more than 2,000 people in Britain and found:

-- 35 percent of British ages 45-54 were obese, double the international average for this age group of 17 percent.

-- 24 percent of 45- to 54-year-old smokers smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day compared with an international average of 18 percent.

-- 27 percent were depressed compared with 17 percent internationally.

-- 45 percent said they felt negative about their financial situation, 30 percent felt negative about their career and 21 percent felt negative about life in general. The international average for those feeling negative about their financial situation was 28 percent, 18 percent said they felt negative about their careers and 13 percent said they felt negative about life in general.

-- 82 percent said they drink alcohol versus the international average of 13 percent.

-- 40 percent said they think they are overweight, but body mass index figures showed 59 percent actually were.