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Stressed out

Survey shows top worries of British people includes health and the NHS

How can you keep up to the minute with the latest corporate speak?

Would you be pleased to be called a 'curve breaker'? Have you ever heard of anyone being 'plutoed'? Here we unravel some of the jargon to keep you up to speed.

Britons spend more than five years of their total life worrying, which amounts to 27 days each year, according to advice website ReallyWorried.com.

The biggest cause of anxiety is personal health, followed by financial issues and crime. The NHS was at number seven on the list of worries, and people from the South East were the biggest worriers about the state of the health service.

The types of worries vary depending on the area of the country - according to the survey, the South West is the UK hotspot for concerns about money and health.

Over 2,000 adults across the UK were surveyed to examine the nation's top worries, when we worry most (and how much time we spend doing it), as part of the launch of ReallyWorried.com

Key gender, generation, professional and geographical trends were identified as part of the research, helping to build a portrait of British anxieties in 2007.

The research shows that most people in Britain are really worried - whether it's about something monumental like their partner is cheating on them or something relatively simple to sort out such as getting to grips with technology, said Richard Rubin, founder of ReallyWorried.com.

The UK's Top Ten Worries:

1. Personal health

2. Outgoings and income

3. Crime

4. Cost of living

5. Terrorism

6. My children's future

7. NHS

8. Gun/knife culture

9. Global warming

10. Pensions

Whereas the North East of England comes top of the worriers in this report, a survey commissioned by the bank Abbey shows the people in the west Midlands are the most stressed.

According to the research, more than 28m (63 per cent) described the last 12 months as stressful. Only one in five Britons could descibe the last 12 months as not being stressful and only one in four said life had become less stressful.

Females came out the most stressed, with 71 per cent saying they had had a stressful 12 months, compared with 54 per cent of men. Teenagers were more stressed than older people; 81 per cent of of 18 to 24 year olds found the last 12 months stressful in contrast to 37 per cent of over 65s.

Equal numbers of both sexes (45 per cent) agreed they were more stressed than during the previous year and only 25 per cent of both sexes found the past 12 months less stressful than previously.

The most stressed cities are Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Cardiff. The last 12 months have also proved stressful right across the country with varying results:

East - 16 per cent
South East - 20 per cent
Scotland - 25 per cent
North West - 28 per cent
North East - 30 per cent
South West - 34 per cent.

Profile: Harry Keenan
Harry Keenan has just been appointed general manager of Baxter Healthcare in the UK. Harry has worked for Baxter for the past 24 years, where he has held various strategic planning and sales and marketing roles in Belgium, Ireland and the UK, including general manager of Greece/Ireland/Portugal based in Dublin. He has a Masters in business administration from the University of Ulster and a Post Graduate Diploma in strategic manage-ment from the Irish Management Institute.

Q: What key piece of knowledge do you feel you couldn't do your job without?

A: It is difficult to put it down to one thing working in such a diversified company, but I think overall it has to be experience. I couldn't do my job without the experience I have gained along the way.

Q: Has it been a long road to where you are now?

A: It has been a long road with many challenges faced along the way, but at the same time it has been a rewarding one and if I hadn't enjoyed the journey so far, I would have switched roads.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever given to somebody?

A: Think strategically and know where you want to get too. The journey is easier when you have a fix on your final destination.

Q: What is your biggest regret?

A: My biggest regret was not being old enough in 1967 to be a spectator at the European Cup final and see Celtic crowned European Champions.

Q: If you could change one part of your job with effect from tomorrow, what would it be?

A: I would like a couple of extra hours in the day!

Q: What do you most enjoy about working in the pharma industry?

A: I've worked in the industry for many years, in many different roles and locations. In each of the roles I've had, the one constant has been putting the patient first. It gives me enormous satisfaction knowing that we genuinely make a real difference to our patients' lives.

Q: How do you think marketers need to evolve to meet the new demands of the changing customer base?

A: Marketers need to understand the needs of our customer, which is ultimately the patient. Changing demographics of this country is going to put increased pressure on an already strained system. Creative solutions will need to be found.

Q: If you were marooned on a desert island with only one book, one record and one luxury, what would they be?

A: Book: Trinity by Leon Uris. Record: Enya, Amarantine. Luxury: A supply of Guinness would be ideal but since Guinness doesn't travel, a supply of fine Amarone would be a suitable substitute.