HEALTH: Britain branded sick man of Europe

Britain is one of the unhealthiest nations in western Europe, according to a new league table.

A high number of deaths from cancer and circulatory diseases put Britain 15th in a list of 27 countries in the world, the business publication Healthcare International reported. Even though life expectancy figures were respectable, Britain still lagged behind countries like Mexico and Taiwan. The rankings took 12 factors into account including deaths from cancer, infection, heart and respiratory disease. Bad diet, particularly and the amount of fatty, processed foods was thought to be blame for Britain's poor showing. According to the study, Sweden was the healthiest nation in the world and South Africa and India were the least healthy.