LIVING in South Gloucestershire is good for your health - it's official.

People in the region have been named as the least likely in the country to suffer from future health problems in a new national league table.

The study, compiled by market intelligence company CACI, found that only 1.8 per cent of people in the area are likely to experience significant health issues in the future.

Experts based their findings on indicative factors including lifestyle, housing, smoking, diet and obesity in the study which related projected future illness according to where people lived.

The unhealthiest place in the country to live was found to be Tower Hamlets in London, where 50.4 per cent of residents were likely to experience health problems in the future.

Vicky O'Loughlin, of South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, said: "We think South Gloucestershire is a great place to live but we are never going to be complacent and we will keep helping people to lead healthier lifestyles."

The region's health authorities and South Gloucestershire Council work together on a number of fitness and lifestyle projects including Walking to Health, which encourages people of any age to regularly walk anything between half a mile and four miles.

They also run Exercise on Prescription, a pioneering project which sees GPs refer their patients to home exercise, the gym, swimming, community health projects and community group activities and Smokefree South Gloucestershire, which provides help and advice for people who want to stop smoking.

The council has also been awarded Beacon status for healthy schools, invested £1.5million in sports facilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex and recently opened a £6million leisure centre in Longwell Green.

Chris Payne, South Gloucestershire's director of public health, said: "We are very pleased that South Gloucestershire is a healthy place and proud of the way we work with the council and some other partners on some very successful schemes to help people live a healthier life.

"However, we are not complacent and are working hard to ensure that the people who live in some of the most deprived areas live as long and healthy lives as those in the more affluent ones."

Last year South Gloucestershire was voted as the eighth best place in Britain to raise a family in a Readers' Digest poll.

The council also picked up an England Athletics award as the best local authority in the South West for promoting and supporting athletics in 2007.