Britain's junk food diet has become the leading cause of death and ill-health, ahead of smoking, according to a study published in The Lancet, reported in The Telegraph (September 15).

The research shows that 40 per cent of NHS resources are spent dealing with ills caused by potentially preventable lifestyle factors such as unhealthy eating habits, obesity, alcohol and smoking.

Diet is now the number one factor driving poor health, even ahead of smoking, the study by Public Health England (PHE) found – causing 10.8 per cent of illness in the UK compared with 10.7 per cent caused by smoking.

The number of deaths from alcohol-related disease has also soared.