OBESITY, cancer and heart disease could all grow in Oxfordshire because of the recession, the county’s public health director has warned.

Dr Jonathan McWilliam said rising stress brought on by unemployment could see people living in poorer areas drink and smoke too much.

He warned the worry of making ends meet could also lead to more people suffering from mental health problems, as he made his annual report on the health of the county.

Dr McWilliam warned families could fall victim to obesity and heart disease because they made less healthy choices while trying to save money on food bills.

Dr McWilliam said: “An economic downturn leads to an increased risk to people’s health because their overall prosperity falls.

“That means the choices they make are often less healthy, and that in turn leads to disease and a lack of well-being.”

Dr McWilliam said people living in less affluent areas of Oxfordshire, such as Barton, Blackbird Leys, Littlemore and Rose Hill in Oxford, were more likely to fall victim to health problems because there was a link between prosperity and health.

His report said: “Statistics show that there are specific areas of the county which experience poor school attainment, excessive ill health, higher crime rates, higher levels of teenage pregnancy, higher unemployment and, ultimately, an early death.

“The longer term impact of the credit crunch and recession will fall most heavily in these areas.”

Dr McWilliam called on health officials and the county council to focus attention on deprived areas in order to “take the sting out of” problems caused by the economic downturn.

He also warned that public spending on fighting health problems could be squeezed as a result of the economic downturn.

Zoe Millington, project development co-ordinator for Oxford Healthy Living Partnership, said she agreed with Dr McWilliam about how the recession could affect health among people in poorer areas.

She said: “Money worries can affect people in different ways. It can take your mind off other priorities like taking care of your health, and it can present challenges such as not being able to afford to spend so much on food.”

The report stressed five major long-term threats to the county’s health, which included: A cycle of deprivation The rising tide of obesity The “demographic time bomb” of an ageing population Mental health problems in adults Killer infections.