NON-STOP worrying is damaging the health of thousands of people in Yorkshire.

A survey has revealed that worry is triggering a range of unhealthy behaviours, from sleepless nights to loss of sex drive and erratic eating.

Findings from Bupa’s 2007 Worry Report – the second annual survey conducted by Bupa UK Health Insurance to understand what Britons worry about and how worrying affects health – show that one in four people in Yorkshire and Humberside worry constantly or about a lot of things.

The national average is one in five.

The biggest worry of all is the impact anxiety is having on our health. The survey says 45% of worriers in Yorkshire and Humberside experience sleepless nights, as against the national average of 39%.

Some 28% said they have their eating habits affected, while one in 17 drink more alcohol to help them relax. One in 12 lose their sex drive.

Yet, in spite of the impact on their health many people do nothing to address their worries, with 28% of Yorkshire’s worriers taking no action at all.