Residents living in Catford and Deptford are likely to die an average 6.6 years earlier than those occupying other areas of the Lewisham borough.

The latest government health profile report for the borough shows a lower than average life expectancy for both men and women living in these areas of high poverty.

The document also reports deprivation in Lewisham to be higher than the national average with around 17,500 children out of an estimated population of 282,000 living in poverty.

This follows new NHS figures showing the borough is 10th highest for obesity-related hospital admissions across the country.

Nearly a quarter of Lewisham's adults are classified as overweight with 66 obesity-related consultations per 100,000 residents recorded last year.

But despite the rise in obesity and the fall in life expectancy, early deaths from heart disease and stroke have dropped since 2002.

National Obesity Forum spokesman Tam Fry said: “Physically demanding work has been replaced by sedentary office work and reliance on cheaper and less-than-healthy processed food - coupled with barriers to taking the recommended hours of exercise - has made keeping to a healthy lifestyle difficult to attain for thousands of families.”