People in Yorkshire do not eat enough fruit and vegetables

The region has some of the UK's highest levels of preventable ill health according to its Director of Public Health, Paul Johnstone.

Professor Johnstone says 10,000 people die prematurely in Yorkshire each year from smoking-related illnesses.

And a quarter of all people in the region were classed as obese in 2002.

Yorkshire and the Humber does not enjoy the best of health Paul Johnstone

This is a large increase on the figures for 1998 when just 19% of men were seriously overweight.

The region also has major health inequalities.

A baby born in Bradford can expect to die nearly five years earlier than one born in Ryedale in North Yorkshire.

Throughout Yorkshire and the Humber, people are eating fewer portions of fruit and vegetables than almost anywhere else in the UK and not taking enough exercise.

Professor Johnstone said: "This report shows that Yorkshire and the Humber does not enjoy the best of health.

"There are some serious challenges ahead if this situation is to improve".

'Fuel poverty'

He makes a number of recommendations about how things could be improved.

These include restricting smoking in public places and working with regional food producers to reduce the amounts of fats and salt in food.

Another fact to emerge from the research is that the region has one of the UK's highest levels of "fuel poverty".

About 13% of Yorkshire homes do not have central heating - the national average is 8.5%.