Between one third and half of all illnesses recorded in the Netherlands are due to an unhealthy lifestyle, a number of government organisations said on Tuesday.

In the report, the health council, the education council and the council for public administration said smoking, excessive use of alcohol, bad eating habits, a lack of exercise and poor air quality are the main motors of ill health.
And they called on the government to take a much broader approach to boosting the health of the population at large.
For example, children who have a healthy lifestyle are less often ill and perform better at school, the report said.
It recommends that the health minister in the next government be given the power to fund health-related projects across every ministry.