UK healthy life expectancy falls by two years; London Marathon sub-two hours and infrasound mood effects in haunted spaces

In this week’s Science Weekly, Madeline Findlay chats with Ian Sample about a Health Foundation analysis showing healthy life expectancy in England, Scotland and Wales declining by about two years since 2012. The episode also covers two elite marathon performances that dipped under two hours, the science behind the shoes, and a Canadian study exploring how inaudible infrasound might influence mood in spooky settings. The show ends with a quick note on a UK birth-rate trend and a miniseries about shrinking global populations.

• Healthy life expectancy declines and healthspan inequality
• Sub-two hour marathon performances and running science
• Infrasound and mood alterations in haunted environments
• Population trends and the Shrinking States mini-series

Overview and context

The Guardian Science Weekly episode opens with a discussion of a Health Foundation analysis using UK Office for National Statistics data. Healthy life expectancy is defined as the years a baby born today might expect to live without ongoing health problems, a measure also called healthspan. The analysis shows a decline in healthy life expectancy across England, Scotland and Wales from the 2012–2014 baseline to 2022–2024, with men dropping from 62.9 to 60.7 years and women from 63.7 to 69.0 years. Importantly, the proportion of life spent in good health also fell for both sexes: from 79% to 77% for men and from 77% to 73% for women. The trend is widespread across deprivation levels, though the steepest declines occur in the most deprived areas. In many parts of the UK, healthy life expectancy now sits below pension age, and in over 10% of local areas it falls below 55 years.

What healthy life expectancy means and how it is measured

Healthy life expectancy is largely self-reported health status, categorized as very good, good, fair, or bad. While life expectancy has been relatively stable, the drop in healthspan suggests rising chronic disease burden or poorer perceived health across the population, driven by factors beyond the pandemic, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and substance-related harms.

Geographic and social inequality

The analysis highlights profound healthspan inequalities within the UK. The gap between wealthy and deprived areas remains evident, with the north and certain urban centers showing markedly lower averages than wealthy parts of London, such as Richmond upon Thames. The data also illustrate that the UK’s health outcomes lag behind many high-income peers, reinforcing concerns about structural determinants of health, including diet, alcohol use, and access to healthcare and services.

International comparisons and policy ideas

When UK healthspan is compared internationally, the country ranks 20th out of 21 high-income nations, a slide from 14th in 2012. Top performers include Japan, Iceland and Luxembourg, with several countries improving their healthspan over the period. Health Foundation researchers advocate a multi-pronged approach: encourage food industry reformulation to healthier products, implement minimum unit pricing for alcohol (as in Scotland), and address drug-related harms. The idea of an obesogenic environment—where daily life promotes weight gain and inactivity—features centrally in the policy discussion.

Running science: sub-two hours and the footwear debate

The podcast then covers a remarkable athletic milestone at the London Marathon, where two runners reportedly broke the two-hour barrier, aided by intense training and cutting-edge footwear. One runner reportedly completed the race in just over two hours, while the other finished within the elusive mark with a time described as just under two hours. The shoes in question are Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, noted for being extremely light, with a curved carbon plate midsole that stores and returns energy to improve efficiency. Training details reveal extremely high weekly mileage (around 200 km in the six weeks before the marathon) and a carbohydrate-focused fueling strategy. VO2 max remains a key underlying metric for aerobic capacity in elite endurance athletes.

Infrasound and haunted spaces: could science explain the heebie-jeebies

The episode closes with news from a Canadian group investigating whether infrasound (sound below the threshold of human hearing) and related environmental factors might influence feelings of fear or unease in old buildings. In a controlled experiment, participants listened to music while hidden subwoofers emitted infrasound. Researchers found that infrasound altered mood and raised cortisol levels, making music feel sadder and participants more irritated. The study is preliminary and notes that a haunted impression is not a given, but for people who are predisposed to paranormal beliefs, such sensory cues could amplify a sense of presence in a building. The researchers emphasize that more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Closing notes and further reading

The show closes by pointing listeners to Guardian coverage and a related two-episode miniseries Shrinking States, which examines why birth rates are falling globally and what a future with fewer people might mean. Credits acknowledge Ellie Sands as producer, Joel Cox for sound design and Ellie Burie as executive producer.