THE North West has been revealed as one of the healthiest regions in the UK.

It came fifth out of 12 areas rated for eating habits, smoking habits and amount of exercise done, among others, through a survey of 10,000 people across the UK.

“This map paints a fascinating picture of the health of the nation,” said Dr Katie Tryon, head of clinical vitality at PruHealth.

“There is a clear picture of how each region is performing and where the hotspots are.”

London topped the list, while Wales was found to be the worst area overall.

A ‘health map’ has now been produced to launch the ‘Britain’s Healthiest Company 2014’ contest, which is aiming to find the country’s most outstanding organisations for looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff.