England’s health inequalities unfair and unjust?

The review ? Fair Society, Healthy Lives ? proposes new ways to improve everyone's health and reduce inequalities that it describes as 'unfair and unjust?. It concluded that, although health inequalities are normally associated with the poor, premature illness and death affects everyone below the wealthiest tier of English society. People living in the most deprived neighbourhoods will on average die seven years earlier than people living in the richest neighbourhoods. Even more disturbing, people living in poorer areas not only die sooner, but spend more of their lives with disability ? an average total difference of 17 years. The review has estimated the cost of health inequalities in England: The review also predicts an increase in the cost of treating the various illnesses that result from inequalities in obesity alone to rise from £2 billion per year to nearly £5 billion per year by 2025. The review calls for health inequalities to sit alongside tackling climate change as one of society's core priorities. Creating a sustainable future is, the review argues, compatible with action to reduce health inequalities: sustainable local communities, active transport, sustainable food production, and zero carbon houses will all have health benefits across society.