Health Coaches Academy has today called on the government and the public to refocus their priorities when it comes to life expectancy, after a major study in Nature Aging revealed that gains in life expectancy are stalling.
The study, published last week, suggests that life expectancies in the UK, which stand at 78.6 years and 82.6 years for men and women respectively, will not increase dramatically in the coming years. A prediction supported by the fact that these figures have plateaued overall since 2012.
Health Coaches Academy, the longest running and biggest Health and Life Coach training academy in the UK, is calling for a mindset shift, with a focus instead on increasing healthy lifespan. This represents the amount of time an individual is expected to live without significant health issues or high risk of mortality.
The King’s Fund reported in 2022 that the average healthy life expectancy for men in the UK was only 63.1 years i.e., an average man can expect to spend around 15 years in poor health if they had the average life expectancy. For women, healthy life expectancy is only 63.8 years, meaning around 19 years spent in poor health at the end of the average life.
It is estimated that 73.9% of those aged 65-74 in the UK have at least two long-term health conditions, many of which reduce quality of life and healthy life span, contributing to this low healthy life expectancy. While chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are becoming more common and can massively restrict quality of life.
Many chronic diseases are either caused or worsened by lifestyle factors such as obesity, inactivity, smoking and alcohol and have a significant impact on healthy life expectancy. These are the areas that can be controlled by individuals looking to make a difference when it comes to their health, with Health Coaches playing an increasingly important role in improving outcomes.
The NHS states that there is “compelling evidence that demonstrates health coaching has a positive impact on the outcomes of patients with chronic diseases such as, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart disease”.
This comes as the government this week announced a five-year trial in Greater Manchester costing hundreds of millions of pounds to see if the weight loss drug Mounjaro could help unemployed people living with obesity return to work.
While this may be successful, it is another example of treating the symptom rather than the cause. This is despite the fact that previous governments have estimated that an effective, broad, preventative medicine programme could be worth £320bn a year to UK GDP.
Ann Garry CEO of Health Coaches Academy, commented:
“The difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy underscores the need for health interventions that not only focus on extending lifespan but also improving the quality of those years. By addressing both physical and mental health, Health Coaches can assist people in not just living longer but living better, potentially reducing the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy across the UK.
“Health Coaches work closely with clients to set achievable goals, provide accountability, and offer evidence-based strategies tailored to individual needs. This might involve coaching clients on healthier eating patterns, encouraging more activity, discussing stress management techniques, or encouraging good sleep hygiene. They can also support individuals in navigating the complexities of the healthcare system, helping them to understand and utilise available resources for better health outcomes.”
