The fitness of the nation

[AVB]

I saw a stat on the BBC the other day that shocked me. Apparently 43% of the U.K. population have an underlying medical condition. Ok not all of these are conditions that will increase the risk to Coronavirus, arthritis for example, but even so I was shocked that nearly half of us have an ongoing medical condition. No wonder the NHS costs a fortune to keep going. How can we change this as it doesn’t sound sustainable to me. 

[Danger-Mouse]

I suppose it depends on what you term a medical condition. Is something like a dermatological condition included? There are many conditions that whilst unpleasant for the sufferer, do not significantly impact their health.

[grrclark]

I can't remember the exact number, but it is something ridiculous like 20-25% of the populace in Scotland claim some sort of disability.  I appreciate that disabilities comes in many types and flavours, but the number is still shocking.

[12gauge82]

Helps keep people calm when reporting Corona virus deaths. "They had underlying health conditions".

I can't help but feel this disease is being underplayed.

[grrclark]

6 minutes ago, 12gauge82 said:

Helps keep people calm when reporting Corona virus deaths. "They had underlying health conditions".

I can't help but feel this disease is being underplayed.

But it is true, every source of data from every country says the same thing.  The rate of mortality increases in line with age and other health conditions, there will always be exceptions to that of course.

[12gauge82]

2 minutes ago, grrclark said:

But it is true, every source of data from every country says the same thing.  The rate of mortality increases in line with age and other health conditions, there will always be exceptions to that of course.

It does, but it's talked about as if your under 60/70 and healthy you've nothing to worry about, which is completely wrong

[grrclark]

5 minutes ago, 12gauge82 said:

It does, but it's talked about as if your under 60/70 and healthy you've nothing to worry about, which is completely wrong

Statistically you have much less to worry about, but agree that doesn't make it trivial.

[lancer425]

1 hour ago, AVB said:

I saw a stat on the BBC the other day that shocked me. Apparently 43% of the U.K. population have an underlying medical condition. Ok not all of these are conditions that will increase the risk to Coronavirus, arthritis for example, but even so I was shocked that nearly half of us have an ongoing medical condition. No wonder the NHS costs a fortune to keep going. How can we change this as it doesn’t sound sustainable to me. 

Basicly.  we got portly "many reasons for that" it has an effect on what we do, and ultimately our health.

A clear illustration, i was at a mates looking at old photos, we did a lot of motorbike touring in the mid to late 70s, long before it got trendy.

 The pictures were quite surprising, i remember the hair the dirt flies , but i dont remember us all looking so skinny, we were like not a strip of fat on us. One lad fat phill nice lad but tubby, he looked just like a normal 19 year old lad of today, but all the rest of us, would look very thin in a crowd of lads today.

Edited March 19, 2020 by lancer425

[GingerCat]

War used to sort it out. 

[Longbower]

According the  Office For National Statistics , the deaths Registered in 2019 , were 59,793 Male and 59055 females.  118848/52 = 2,285 deaths per week average.

326.5 per day.   Without Corona . 

Lets all take care, of each other, help the elderly where we can , and ride the storm.

 

 

[12gauge82]

3 minutes ago, Longbower said:

 

Lets all take care, of each other, help the elderly where we can , and ride the storm.

 

 

Well said that man 👍

[grrclark]

6 minutes ago, Longbower said:

According the  Office For National Statistics , the deaths Registered in 2019 , were 59,793 Male and 59055 females.  118848/52 = 2,285 deaths per week average.

326.5 per day.   Without Corona . 

Lets all take care, of each other, help the elderly where we can , and ride the storm.

 

 

What ONS report are you looking at?

This link states 616,014 in the UK in 2018 and it is the most recent publication, hence c.1690/day.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2fpopulationandmigration%2fpopulationestimates%2fdatasets%2fvitalstatisticspopulationandhealthreferencetables%2fcurrent/annualreferencetable2019v2.xlsx

 

 

[islandgun]

Perhaps a good time to look at our own physical fitness,  for the last week my wife and i have taken to walking up a steep bit of hill, it takes about 1/2 hour but we are increasing the distance and time every day, It would be good if the virus was responsible for an overall increase of the nations health, get those lungs working !

[henry d]

9 hours ago, grrclark said:

I can't remember the exact number, but it is something ridiculous like 20-25% of the populace in Scotland claim some sort of disability.  I appreciate that disabilities comes in many types and flavours, but the number is still shocking.

From the perspective of children and young people, advances in medicine and medical interventions have saved lots of them over past 30 years as many would have died in early years or mid adulthood. Add to that our generally easier lifestyle and we are where we are, perhaps nature is redressing the balance?

[WestonSalop]

I tend to agree with you Henry and maybe mother nature doing her stuff might be a good thing for the human race after all. I'd much rather the population be thinned out this way than by way of a world war, as suggested by some. That really would signal the end is nigh - for ALL of us.

[henry d]

To quote Tyler Durden "Given a long enough timeline everyone's survival rate drops to zero."

[WestonSalop]

9 hours ago, lancer425 said:

Basicly.  we got portly "many reasons for that" it has an effect on what we do, and ultimately our health.

A clear illustration, i was at a mates looking at old photos, we did a lot of motorbike touring in the mid to late 70s, long before it got trendy.

 The pictures were quite surprising, i remember the hair the dirt flies , but i dont remember us all looking so skinny, we were like not a strip of fat on us. One lad fat phill nice lad but tubby, he looked just like a normal 19 year old lad of today, but all the rest of us, would look very thin in a crowd of lads today.

I was looking at a team photo of my old rugby club, taken c.1976. We all looked so thin. Even the front row would pass for being underweight today. Most (but certainly not all of us) didn't work behind desks and generally of course, there weren't the choices we have today such as a wide range of takeaways. At 63 years old I still go to the gym - well, until the virus closed it down - I walk 2 miles with the dog twice a day, every day; try to eat sensibly and still I struggle to keep my waistline in check. Cant help but think its not just sedentary lifestyles that's making the general population obese. As they say, something in the air.....? (Or the vino and whisky).

[Deker]

10 hours ago, GingerCat said:

War used to sort it out. 

Unfortunately it did the exact opposite, the young, fit and health were sent to fight (and in many cases die) whereas the weaker people stayed at home.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, if anyone watched Packham on his World population programme he made a crass statement where these viruses are a way to control the population !!!!!!!!

[TRINITY]

Agree with most of posts, old photograph and film footage says it all. Being an old un myself I remember that back then, we drank as much as if not more than nowadays. Most people were at the pub at least two or three times a week. Workers also nipped into the pub for a couple of pints in the lunch hour. After the pubs shut it was usually the norm to pick up fish and chips or a take away on the way home. The general diet was also less healthy as far as I recall, chips,pies,fry ups the norm. Yet we were all thinner !

[islandgun]

43 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, if anyone watched Packham on his World population programme he made a crass statement where these viruses are a way to control the population !!!!!!!!

I hope that some will point this out to him !

[Mice!]

Quick Google shows average of 45000 plus a month die every month in England and Wales 

That seems a lot,  but were not seeing anything like these numbers thankfully. 

[loriusgarrulus]

With all the folks self isolating it might cause a reduction in deaths due to vehicle accidents.

[vmaxphil]

I do wonder if people " anti bacterialing " there lives make them less able to fight off new infections like this?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

16 minutes ago, vmaxphil said:

I do wonder if people " anti bacterialing " there lives make them less able to fight off new infections like this?

Would it be a risk worth taking to stop?