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Growing physical inactivity pandemic laid bare by ukactive report

Fresh analysis of official Government data and FOI-obtained figures show depth of challenge to 'turn the tide of physical inactivity'.  ukactive's new report Turning the tide of inactivity is the first ever borough by borough analysis of increasing levels of physical inactivity across England, and the steps being taken to combat it.

Using new FOI data and fresh data analysis, ukactive has investigated the biggest causes of inactivity and the interventions which are being effective in 'turning the tide of inactivity'. The report reveals:

  • In the most deprived areas in England, one in three people fail to raise their heartbeat for 30 minutes per week across a month, even in separate ten-minute bursts. This number decreases to one in four in the least deprived areas.
  • The impact of this inactivity pandemic: where inactivity levels are the highest, premature mortality rates are also the highest. In the 15 most inactive local authorities, there is an average of 342 premature deaths per 100,000 people per year, compared with 242 in the least inactive. 
  • Green spaces, often touted as the holy grail of increasing activity by lobbyists, actually showed no significant correlation with levels of inactivity in the analysis. For instance, Islington has the least green space of any local authority but is amongst the most physically active areas in England, suggesting that it is the programming, promotion and utilisation of green space that is key, rather than the volume that is available to local people.
  • Areas with the highest levels of inactivity have a third fewer leisure facilities per person compared with areas of low inactivity. However, the report also shows that numbers aren't always necessarily the answer - in some cases fewer, high quality, well designed leisure facilities have been effective in driving down inactivity levels.

The report also reveals, for the first time via data obtained under Freedom of Information laws, that English local authorities spent on average just two per cent of public health budgets on physical activity promotion and investment in 2012. This is in stark contrast to the 38 per cent spent on sexual health, and 12 per cent on alcohol misuse.

To help turn the tide of inactivity and save lives, ukactive is calling for a national ambition - implemented locally by local authorities - to reduce levels of physical inactivity by one per cent a year over the next five years. This could save the UK economy £1.2 billion.

The report highlights the major opportunity for leisure operators to make a major impact on the health of the nation. The key recommendations for the sector to help turn the tide are:

  • Activity and community sports providers should focus on engaging with inactive people
  • Activity providers should better record, analyse and evaluate the users of their facilities and effectiveness of their programmes to improve the evidence base.

The report also calls on national and local government to take concerted action. Recommendations include:

  • Government should develop and deliver a cross party national strategy to turn the tide of inactivity.
  • Local authorities should invest in targeted inactivity interventions in line with other top tier health concerns, such as alcohol misuse and smoking.
  • Collective adoption of a national ambition to reduce inactivity by one per cent year-on-year by local authorities

David Stalker, Chief Executive Officer, ukactive said

Turning the tide of inactivity seeks to support local authorities, public health professionals and the activity sector to better understand inactivity as a distinct risk to public health. It comes at a time when local authorities have the opportunity to shape how they begin to turn the tide of inactivity. We look forward to working with them, Public Health England and a huge range of other partners to make the positive impact we all want to achieve.

Chairman of ukactive, Fred Turok said:

"It's no longer acceptable that physical inactivity remains the forgotten cause of death in the UK. More deprived areas are faring worse in a physical inactivity pandemic, with no national strategy to improve our fitness levels, from before we take our first steps to our last.

Our report shows people in deprived areas are more likely to suffer a premature death because of a lack of physical activity. If we are to turn the tide, Councils, government, and health and leisure providers need to work together to get more people, more active more often. Supporting inactive people to become more active, even for just 10 minutes a day, is where the biggest health gains lie.

The report was backed by the Prime Minister's Legacy Ambassador and former Chair of LOCOG Lord Sebastian Coe who said:

I welcome this vital report by ukactive. Physical inactivity currently accounts for nearly one-fifth of premature deaths in the UK. With projections showing that inactivity levels are due to increase by a further 15 per cent by 2030 there is no doubt that the issue requires immediate national attention and urgent action.

"Turning the tide of inactivity would be a hugely important outcome for our Olympic and Paralympic legacy story, which would have a massive long-term impact on our nation's health and wellbeing.

A range of stakeholders have issued their support for the report. Prof Kevin Fenton, National Director for Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, said:

PHE welcomes the ukactive report Turning the tide of inactivity which highlights the complexity and breadth of the physical inactivity challenge. PHE is committed to working with local and national partners to reduce levels of physical inactivity and the associated health, economic and social burden on local communities.

Physical activity is undertaken across communities in a range of ways, from walking and cycling, through fitness, leisure and play to structured amateur and elite sport. We need to embrace and support this diversity through cross-sector collaboration and action to embed physical activity within daily life. Local government is at the centre of developing and leading a whole system approach across communities to reduce inactivity and encouraging more people to get more active, more often.

Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, said:

It's clear that the nation needs to be more active, and we welcome ukactive's work to highlight the scale of the challenge that lies ahead. The sport and recreation sector is already making a significant contribution, but we can do so much more with long-term, cross-party political support.

Download the full report here

For further information please contact: Steven Ward

Tel: 020 7420 8570 or click here to email.