Couch potato lifestyle 'costs NHS £1bn'
Tuesday, 20 Mar 2007 12:22
Leading a couch potato lifestyle could help to increase risk of certain diseases
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People leading 'couch potato' lifestyles with little physical activity cost the NHS more than £1 billion a year, new research has found.
Factors including hospital stays, outpatient appointments, drugs and community care due to diseases associated with inactivity amounted to £1.06 billion. Care linked with coronary heart disease proved to be the most costly at an estimated £526 million.
Researchers at Oxford University warn that this amount could be even higher as it does not take into account indirect costs such as informal care, and the impact on the economy due to lost productivity.
Using information from the World Health Organisation, the researchers calculated the amount of disease and early death attributable to a lack of physical activity.
They found that physical inactivity was directly responsible for three per cent of all deaths and illnesses in 2002.
In 2003/4 deaths from diseases associated with a lack of exercise, including heart disease and cancer, totalled 287,206. Of this number 35,000 were directly attributable to physical inactivity.
"Our results show that there is an economic case for developing policies and interventions that promote physical activity," the researchers write.
"One third of all deaths are due to diseases which could be at least partly reduced by increased physical activity."
Responding to the findings, Syeve Shaffelburg, policy manager for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which funded the study, said that they represent "yet more evidence" of the importance of physical activity for people's overall health.
"All adults should aim to take 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on five days a week at least. It can be enjoyable, cheap and easy to fit into everyday life. Brisk walking, swimming and gardening are great examples," he said.
"You are never too old to start being active, but people who are not used to physical activity and not sure of what activity is right for them should discuss it with their GP."
The BHF is launching a national campaign in April to encourage people to take up more exercise and to encourage the government to tackle inactivity as a "high priority issue".