Life expectancy improvement is stalling across Europe, with England experiencing the most significant slowdown. Experts attribute this trend to a concerning mix of poor diet, widespread inactivity, and soaring obesity rates. This alarming situation mirrors similar challenges faced in the United States, where obesity rates have been steadily rising, and chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes are on the increase.

The average annual growth in life expectancy across Europe fell from 0.23 years between 1990 and 2011 to 0.15 years between 2011 and 2019, according to research published in the Lancet Public Health journal. Of the 20 countries studied, every one apart from Norway saw life expectancy growth fall, highlighting a broader European trend that has significant implications for public health policies.

England suffered the largest decline in life expectancy improvement, with a fall in average annual improvement of 0.18 years, from 0.25 between 1990 and 2011 to 0.07 between 2011 and 2019. This slowdown is particularly concerning given that England has historically been a leader in public health initiatives. The second slowdown of life expectancy growth in Europe was in Northern Ireland (reducing by 0.16 years), followed by Wales and Scotland (both falling by 0.15 years).

Sarah Price, NHS England’s director of public health, emphasized the importance of prevention in addressing these issues. “This important study reinforces that prevention is the cornerstone of a healthier society, and is exactly why it will be such a key part of the 10-year health plan which we are working with the government on.”

Price continued, “The slowdown in life expectancy improvements, particularly due to cardiovascular disease and cancer, highlights the urgent need for stronger action on the root causes – poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity.”

The NHS helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight through its 12-week digital weight management program. Price said, “However, more action is needed across society because we cannot treat our way out of the obesity crisis, and we need to stem it at source.”

The study, led by the University of East Anglia, examined changes in life expectancy in 20 European countries from 1990 to 2021. During the Covid pandemic between 2019 and 2021, all countries except Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Belgium experienced a decline in life expectancy, with Greece and England experiencing the largest falls. This pandemic-related decline underscores the fragility of public health systems and the need for robust preventive measures.

Life expectancy growth from 1990 to 2011 was attributable to improvements in countries tackling the risk factors for heart disease and cancer. However, deaths due to heart disease were a key driver of the slowdown in life expectancy growth from 2011 to 2019, coinciding with increasing BMI levels and high exposure to poor diets and low physical activity. This trend is reminiscent of the United States, where heart disease remains the leading cause of death and obesity rates continue to climb.

The countries that best maintained gains in life expectancy after 2011, namely Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium, maintained or boosted life expectancy even during the pandemic. Researchers said that the countries that “best maintained” improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. They highlighted the need for stronger government policies to tackle obesity and increase physical activity levels.

Lead researcher Prof Nicholas Steel, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said, “Advances in public health and medicine in the 20th century meant that life expectancy in Europe improved year after year, but this is no longer the case.” He added, “We found that deaths from cardiovascular diseases were the primary driver of the reduction in life expectancy improvements between 2011-19. Unsurprisingly, the Covid pandemic was responsible for decreases in life expectancy seen between 2019-21.”

Steel further explained, “Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held on to better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies.” In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.”

Asked about England specifically, he said, “We’re not doing so well with heart disease and cancer. We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels. These trends are decades long – there isn’t a quick fix.”

Steel emphasized the need for long-term population protections from risk, saying, “This is about the big, long-term population protections from risk – so engaging with the food industry to improve our national diet to make it easier for people to eat healthier food and make it easier for people to move a little bit in our day-to-day lives.”

However, Steel said Europe had “not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling.” “Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it had inherited a broken NHS, with underfunded, under-resourced public health services, but added that it was committed “to ensuring people live well for longer.” Its upcoming 10-year health plan would “shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention,” a spokesperson said.

In the United States, similar challenges are being addressed through initiatives like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Diabetes Prevention Program” and the “Let’s Move!” campaign, which aims to combat childhood obesity. These programs highlight the importance of preventive measures and community engagement in improving public health outcomes.

One notable example is the success of New York City’s “Sugary Drink Ban,” which aimed to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages by limiting their availability in certain venues. While the ban faced legal challenges and was eventually repealed, it sparked a national conversation about the role of public policy in combating obesity and related health issues.

Critics argue that government intervention in diet and lifestyle choices infringes on personal freedom. However, proponents point to the success of public health campaigns like anti-smoking initiatives, which have significantly reduced smoking rates and related health issues. The debate continues, but the data suggests that preventive measures can have a profound impact on public health.

In conclusion, the stalling of life expectancy improvement in Europe serves as a wake-up call for the United States and other nations facing similar public health challenges. The need for comprehensive, long-term strategies to address poor diet, inactivity, and obesity is clear. By learning from successful initiatives and adapting them to local contexts, communities can work towards a healthier future.