emphasis on physical activity

The Health benefits of physical activity

“The scientific evidence is compelling. Physical activity not only
contributes to well-being, but is also essential for good health.”

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson
Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health. April 2004

The importance of physical activity for health has been outlined extensively in the report At Least Five a Week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health. This 2004 report from the Chief Medical Officer presents a detailed review of the scientific evidence on the links between physical activity and health.

The report sets out some stark facts:

An inactive lifestyle has a substantial, negative impact on both individual and public health. Disease and disability caused by physical inactivity cause serious and unnecessary human suffering and impaired quality of life.
Physical inactivity is a primary contributor to a broad range of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
The high level of individual suffering caused by these diseases, together with the substantial associated financial costs, make this a major public health issue.
The estimated costs of physical inactivity in England are £8.2 billion annually, which does not include the contribution of inactivity to obesity which in itself has been estimated at £2.5 billion annually.
The public health importance of physical activity is clear, as adults who are physically active have 20-30% reduced risk of premature death, and up to 50% reduced risk of developing the major chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease.
About one-third of boys and one-third to a half of girls report activity levels that may compromise their health. Reductions in activity levels among children during the course of normal daily living are likely to have reduced the amount of energy expended and to have contributed to the epidemic of obesity referred to in the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for 2002.

	Download At Least Five a Week: full report
	Download At Least Five a Week: summary report

The content for this site is provided through a partnership between a number of agencies including Sport England (East Midlands) the Health Development Agency, Department of Health and the East Midlands Public Health Observatory.