It is recommended that adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on five or more days of the week. Children are recommended to participate in moderate intensity activity for at least an hour a day. Rates decline steeply in girls after the age of 8 years, with less than 1 in 5 active at the recommended level by the age of 15. The Government recommends daily sensible drinking levels of no more than 4 units of alcohol in men and 3 units in women. In addition men should not drink more than 21 units a week and women no more than 14 units a week.
Alcohol consumption varies markedly with social class in women.
Professional women are three times as likely to drink more than the recommended amount than those in unskilled manual jobs, with the proportion drinking at excess levels rising most rapidly in this group over the last decade. Men and women in unskilled manual jobs are more than twice as likely to report this lack of social support compared to those in professional employment. People on low incomes and those living in London are more likely to report high GHQ12 scores. Overweight and obesity are also common in children. Obesity is also more common in adults employed in manual occupations, particularly in women.