British adults judge their own health more harshly than their US peers – but are actually healthier

British adults are less likely to be obese and have high blood pressure and high cholesterol in midlife than people in the same age group in the US, according to new research based on BCS70 and a US study.

But despite being in better health, compared to their US counterparts, British adults are more likely to believe their health is poor and to be smokers.

What we asked you

Between the ages of 46 and 48, you took part in a medical assessment. At this assessment, nurses measured your blood pressure, weighed you and took your blood to determine your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

When you were 42, we asked you how healthy you thought you were, and when you were 34, you told us how often you smoked.

A team of researchers from universities in the UK and USA analysed your information alongside other data you’ve provided through our surveys. They then compared the findings to information collected from people taking part in a similar cohort study based in the US.

What the research found

US adults in midlife were more likely to have high blood pressure (22.5% v 19%) and high cholesterol (11% v 8%) compared to British adults of a similar same age. Additionally, obesity was more common in the US (40% v 34.5%). British adults, however, were more likely to smoke (28% v 21%) and to describe their health as poor (18% v 12%).

Although these findings may look positive for the UK, the health of British adults in midlife is still of concern with this new research showing that more than a third are obese and a fifth have high blood pressure.

In both the UK and the US, physical health was linked to socioeconomic background. Adults from advantaged backgrounds tended to be healthier than those from less advantaged backgrounds in both countries. However, this difference was much more significant in the US.

In the US, the poorest adults were around eight times more likely to have diabetes than the richest. They were also seven times more likely to smoke. In Britain, the least well-off adults were twice as likely both to have diabetes and to smoke than the most well-off.

The researchers found that people in the UK without degrees were healthier than US adults with degrees. American university graduates were more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol than British adults without degrees. Researchers also discovered that adults in the US with university graduate parents were as likely to be obese as British individuals whose parents did not have degrees.

Why this research matters

These new findings highlight the importance of healthy habits and access to healthcare for people’s long-term health. They reinforce previous research which has shown how health problems and inequalities in older age tend to have their origins in earlier life.

“The US acts as a warning of what the state of health could be like in Britain without the safety net of the NHS and a strong welfare system.”

Lead author Dr Charis Bridger Staatz

Lead author, Dr Charis Bridger Staatz, said: “Given political and social similarities between the US and Britain, the US acts as a warning of what the state of health could be like in Britain without the safety net of the NHS and a strong welfare system.

“In both Britain and the US, public health policies tend to focus on improving health awareness and behaviours in childhood or older age. However, intervening in midlife offers a great opportunity to promote healthier ageing.”

Read the full research report

Midlife Health in Britain and the United States: A Comparison of Two Nationally Representative Cohorts, by Charis Bridger Staatz, Iliya Gutin, Andrea Tilstra, Laura Gimeno, Bettina Moltrecht, Dario Moreno-Agostino, Vanessa Moulton, Martina K. Narayanan, Jennifer B. Dowd, Lauren Gaydosh and George B. Ploubidis was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on Thursday, 3 October 2024.

In the press

These findings were covered in the Guardian, Daily Mail, and The Times among others.