Lack of exercise tops list of worries

Not doing enough exercise followed by not getting enough sleep constitute the greatest perceived risks to health, research has found.

More than half of those questioned for Legal & General Healthcare said that their greatest concern was failing to keep fit, while 45 per cent said tiredness was the main threat to their health. The research revealed a growing "mismatch" between what policymakers trying to improve the nation's health did and what mattered to "real" people, the survey's authors claimed.

Passive smoking came just seventh, with only 17 per cent of people saying it was their main concern.

The research showed more than a third said they felt constantly run down. Being stressed by their daily routine affected 28 per cent, while a quarter said they feared being depressed.

NHS problems were also a cause of concern. Hospital cleanliness worried 27 per cent, while 13 per cent expressed anxiety over waiting lists. Waiting too long to see a GP or specialist was a worry for 16 per cent.

Twelve per cent of the 4,000 respondents said not being able to give up smoking was their biggest fear. This was slightly fewer than the number that said they were drinking too much.