THE COUNCIL has pleaded with unhealthy residents to re-think their lifestyle as it continues to fork out thousands of pounds on health programs.

Shocking figures show that nearly two thirds of adults in Reading are overweight while at least 30,000 people drink hazardous levels of alcohol.

And despite smoking levels falling since 2012, Reading borough has the second highest smoking level in the county.

The borough's health chief warned the knock-on effect on unhealthy life choices has put an 'unsustainable burden on health services' through the high rates of preventable disease and mortality.

Councillor Graeme Hoskin said: "Locally we recognise the need to strengthen our efforts to ensure that people who live and work in Reading can choose a healthy, active lifestyle and have the support that they need to maintain those healthy choices throughout their lives.

“We support and encourage adults, children and young people to be more active through a number of great initiatives. We also commission a very successful quit smoking service and we will shortly begin a consultation on our drug and alcohol strategy.

“The council firmly believes focussing our efforts and working with partners in these areas now saves public health services – including the NHS – money in the long run.

“However, we also need to balance this against the challenge of continuing reductions to the public health budget as a result of government cuts which makes it difficult for councils across the country to help people to improve their health.

"Since 2015/16 we have seen the public health budget reduce by 9.8% and further cuts are expected.

"We are being forced to make some extremely tough decisions about where limited resources will have the most impact.”

Other health schemes run by the council Eat4Health, a weight management scheme and Let’s Get Going, a 12-week healthy weight and lifestyle programme for children aged between seven and 12 years old and their families.