Physical Activity

Overview

Physical activity, described in its broadest sense (including walking or cycling for transport, gardening and housework as well as sport or deliberate ‘exercise’) is a critical public health issue. This is not only because lack of physical activity is associated with significant risks to many aspects of health, but also because there is a high prevalence of physical inactivity: around two-thirds of adults fail to achieve recommended physical activity levels. There is no significant difference between physical activity levels for adults in the South East compared to England, with 37% of men and 24% of women classed as active.

Aspects of health and illness that can be improved by increasing physical activity include coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, positive mental health, weight management and musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis. Inactive and unfit people have almost double the risk of dying from coronary heart disease; and cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, and cancer are the major causes of death in England, together accounting for almost 60% of premature deaths. Physical inactivity, along with unhealthy diets, has contributed to the rapid increases in obesity in both adults and children.

Besides the human costs of inactivity in terms of mortality, morbidity and quality of life, an es timate for the cost of inactivity in England is £8.2 billion annually (Game Plan, Strategy Unit, 2002).

Recommended levels of physical activity for children and young people are at least 60 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity every day, and for adults including older adults at least 30 minutes a day of at least moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days of the week, where ‘moderate intensity’ is equivalent to a brisk walk.

Much of the decline in overall physical activity is due to trends in our society that reduce opportunities for activity, such as increased car travel and car ownership, a decline in walking and cycling, fewer manual jobs, more labour-saving devices, and a rise in sedentary leisure activities such as watching TV and videos. Also lack of time is a very common barrier to physical activity.

There is evidence that public health action on a number of levels is helpful in increasing levels of physical activity. These include advocacy for policy and environmental changes; developing strategies such as local transport plans; involving primary care; running community programmes; targeting adults over 50; targeting young people via a whole school approach and ensuring proper monitoring, evaluation and data collection.

The South East region is well advanced in developing policy and action on physical activity.

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Key Resources

The following is a collection of data, information and reports on obesity. Please note that these resources will open in a new window.

• Working together for a healthier Kent

This is the first Kent-wide Public Health report of the modern era. It covers the major areas of relevance to the Kent Public Health Strategy, and it provides a ‘road map’ for developing health improvement. It is the first in a series of annual reports and as such does not, and cannot, cover every aspect of public health. Major needs assessment exercises in mental health, children’s and adult health will be developed in the near future and more information will emerge on these subjects.

• Choosing Health in the South East: Physical Activity

As part of the Choosing Health series, this report provides an overview of physical activity patterns in the region. It brings together relevant regional and national data with evidence on the effectiveness of interventions, and relevant national policies.

• Active People Survey Interim Results - Participation and Volunteering Rates, 2006

The Active People Survey, a survey of adults (16 years and over) participation in sport and active recreation in England, started in October 2005, and will finish (with c.356,000 completed interviews) in October 2006. The survey is being carried out by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of Sport England.

• Mission: Possible - the South East Plan for Sport 2004-2008

Regional Plan for Sport with a strong focus on physical activity and sets out a wide range of actions towards ‘making the South East an active and successful sporting region’.

• Choosing Activity: a Physical Activity Action Plan, 2005

Plan describes the mechanisms through which the Government’s commitments on physical activity described in “Choosing health” will be delivered.

• At Least Five a Week: Evidence on the Impact of Physical Activity and its Relationship to Health, 2004

Authoritative and up to date summary of the evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health from the Chief Medical Officer.

• Game Plan: A Strategy for Delivering Government's Sport and Physical Activity Objectives, 2002

  Publised by the Strategy Unit, this report reviews what role, if any, the government should take in widening opportunities to participate, in developing talent, and in enabling our sportsmen and women to compete at the highest levels.

• Risks and Determinants 4: Physical Activity in the East of England, 2005

Report on the data, evidence and policy on physical activity in the region and nationally.

• The Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions for Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults: A Review of Reviews, 2005

The 2nd edition of the HDA Evidence Briefing. A summary version is also available.

• Young People and Sport in England - Trends in Participation 1994-2002

This report contains the findings from three national surveys of young people’s involvement in sport, undertaken in 1994, 1999 and 2002 on behalf of Sport England.

• Securing Good Health for the Whole Population, 2004

Also known as The Wanless Report this report by Derek Wanless was commissioned by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Health to provide an update of the challenges in implementing the fully engaged scenario set out in his report on long-term health trends.

• Physical Activity and Inequalities: A Briefing Paper, 1999

This briefing paper explores the potential role of physical activity in addressing inequalities. It looks at the background to inequalities in health and provides a rationale for the role of physical activity in addressing inequalities and social exclusion.

• Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health: Obesity and Overweight Fact sheet

A short fact sheet from the World Health Organization.

• Move It! A Framework for Action on Physical Activity in the South East, 2004

The Framework provides a rationale to be used by agencies to work together to ensure a coordinated approach to increasing physical activity across the South East Region within clear targets and time-scales.

• Four commonly used methods to increase physical activity: brief interventions in primary care, exercise referral schemes, pedometers and community-based exercise programmes for walking and cycling

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Contacts

For further information you may wish to visit the following web sites.

• Sport England
  • Penny Kurowski, Sports Development Manager
• Active Places

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Information compiled by Shireen Mathrani. Last review August 2006.