Brits tend to look on the bright side of life, research finds

Researchers found that Brits are a brighter bunch than they are given credit for - with a third rating their general happiness levels as an eight or nine out of 10.

Likewise, 12 per cent of people ranked their health at nine - and a cumulative 47 per cent said they were an eight to 10 on the scale of happiness with the place where they live.

There was also good news for body positivity - 23 per cent rated their weight as an eight or nine out of 10, while the average Brit places it as a satisfying eight.

However, unfortunately, one third of those polled admitted they were ‘glass half empty’ in their attitude to life.

And researchers found half of respondents think of their fellow citizens in Britain as ‘gloomy’ and generally pessimistic in their outlook. Just 14 per cent of people believe that, overall, the British are an optimistic nation.

The dreary weather was cited as the most likely source of glumness, while high prices and poverty also bring people down.

Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of international animal charity SPANA, which provides free veterinary treatment to working animals in developing countries, said: “It’s clear that people in the UK think that we are not the most positive nation and generally regard fellow Brits as a gloomy bunch.

“However, while life isn’t perfect in this country, it’s important to keep perspective.

“The everyday problems people commonly complain about - such as the weather - are very trivial compared to the hard lives endured by working animals and their owners in developing countries around the world. These animals carry back-breaking loads, working long hours in extreme temperatures, usually without access to essential veterinary care when they are sick or injured.”