The Chief Medical Officers have published new guidelines for Physical Activity in the UK
Jul
12
The Chief Medical Officers have published new guidelines for Physical Activity in the UK.
Some extracts:
"Physical activity should be encouraged across the population. The risks of engaging in physical activity are low for most of the population, but the risks of poor health resulting from inactivity are high. There is a clear link between physical activity and chronic disease."
"Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions. Even relatively small increases in physical activity are associated with some protection against chronic diseases and an improved quality of life. These benefits can deliver cost savings for health and social care services. However, the benefits of physical activity extend further to improved productivity in the workplace, reduced congestion and pollution through active travel, and healthy development of children and young people.
· The percentage of adults in England meeting previous physical activity guidelines: Men 40%, Women 28%.
· The percentage of children (aged 2-15) in England meeting previous physical activity guidelines: Boys 32%, Girls 24%.
· The estimated direct cost of physical inactivity to the NHS across the UK is £1.06 billion.
Despite the widely reported benefits of physical activity, the majority of adults and many children across the UK are insufficiently active to meet the previous recommendations. There are clear and significant health inequalities in relation to physical inactivity according to income, gender, age, ethnicity and disability.
These guidelines apply across the population, irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status. However, barriers related to safety, culture and access, for example, can have a disproportionate effect upon the ability of individuals to respond to the guidelines; therefore, interventions to promote physical activity must consider this. This is particularly significant where efforts are focused in locations comprising large numbers of traditionally sedentary groups and individuals."