A MAJOR national report has found that East Cambridgeshire is the 10th healthiest area in the country. Market analysis organisations TNS and CACI looked at lifestyles and health levels in more than 400 local authorities across the UK to find the 10 healt

A MAJOR national report has found that East Cambridgeshire is the 10th healthiest area in the country.

Market analysis organisations TNS and CACI looked at lifestyles and health levels in more than 400 local authorities across the UK to find the 10 healthiest and 10 most unhealthy areas.

Official data, levels of illness, and market research all contributed to the wide-ranging study, which named Merthyr Tydfil in Wales as the most unhealthy place to live and the Isles of Scilly as the healthiest.

East Cambs was identified as an area where people are generally healthy and have lifestyles that are less prone to serious illness.

Phillip Turner, senior sports and leisure officer at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "We are all increasingly aware of the importance of our general health and the need to look after ourselves. In another recent survey for the district, Sport England found just over 21 per cent of adults are participating in some levels of sport which is above the national average."

He said the council works with a range of partners, including leisure centres, county sports partnerships and the Primary Care Trust on referral schemes, Heartbeat Healthy Walks, a community dietician and a range of sports development programmes.

"There is more that can be done," he said. "There are still a large number of people who are not doing any exercise at all - the Government recommends that everyone should do at least five 30- minute sessions of moderate intensity physical activity per week to benefit our health.