Poor diet and exercise levels in Manchester are placing huge demands on the NHS with high levels of serious illness, researchers have warned.
The city is named in the top 10 of areas where high levels of severely unhealthy lifestyles are likely to lead to serious illness, according to a new study.
Market researchers CACI and TNS use a combination of official data, the census and surveys to rank local authorities according to levels of poor health, bad diet and exercise.
They warn that the health service must prepare for a "time bomb" caused by widespread unfit and unhealthy lifestyles.
Ian Thurman, Head of Location Analysis at CACI, said: "The serious illnesses focused on within the HealthACORN report are, to a large extent, caused by lifestyle choices.
"The NHS is already overburdened, but this is nothing compared to the time bomb which is set to explode if people don't make major changes to their current lifestyles.
"This analysis identifies where early intervention can be most effective in reducing future illnesses."
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