The Young Foundation has released a post about the physical inactivity epidemic, talking about some case study research they are currently completing in this field.
“Levels of physical activity are falling at alarming rates in countries across the world. In the UK we have seen physical activity fall by over 20% in less than two generations. This is set to fall by a further 35% by 2030. This epidemic of inactivity is damaging our health, our economies, our communities and our individual wellbeing. Worldwide, inactivity kills more people than smoking. Today’s ten year olds will be the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Our inactivity also drains economies. The most recent estimates show that inactivity costs the UK economy over £20bn and the NHS almost £2bn a year.”
Lisa MacCallum Carter, Managing Director Access to Sport, Nike, Inc, is quoted on the page saying:“I want to thank the Young Foundation for their extraordinary leadership in this work. We share the same passion to create a brighter future for our kids and look forward to leveraging this report with others to move the agenda and action forward.”
Read the post and see the related research here
For New Zealand research on Sport & Recreation click here
For more about the positive effects of physical activity click here