1. Linking Sport and Health through Purposeful Activity
Len Almond
Loughborough University

2. My Task today:
Raise the priority and significance of Purposeful Activity and Health on your agenda.
Identify priorities
Propose what we can do?

3. Sport and Health:we share the same aspirations
Sedentary population
Insufficiently active
Productive/purposeful use of leisure-time

4. Is there any evidence that Health and Sport need to work together?

5. Physical Activity levels among children
Physical Activity levels among children Health Survey for England
It is recommended that all children and young people aged 5 –18 years participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour a day. In England, 55% of boys aged 2 –15 and 39% of girls are active at this recommended level on five or more days a week.
But, participation rates decline with age after around 8-10 years, with the decline steepest in girls.
By the age of 15, only 18% of girls reach the recommended level of activity.

6. Physical Activity levels among children
Physical Activity levels among children Health Survey for England
Recommended that young people (5-18) accumulate one hour - moderate intensity physical activity/day HEA 1998
55% boys & 39% girls aged 2 –15 years
Participation declines around age 8 -10, steepest decline in girls
By 15, only 18% girls & 48% boys
reach rec. level
It is recommended that all children and young people aged 5 –18 years participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour a day. In England, 55% of boys aged 2 –15 and 39% of girls are active at this recommended level on five or more days a week.
But, participation rates decline with age after around 8-10 years, with the decline steepest in girls.
By the age of 15, only 18% of girls reach the recommended level of activity.

7. No activity reported in previous 4 weeks: Health Survey for England
Age
M 1994
M 1998
W 1994
W 1998
16-24 7 9 11 18
25-34 8 10 14
35-44
45-54 15 21 12 19
55-64 24 34 28
65-74 29 36 33 45
75+ 53 57 62 71

8. People who are NOT participating in enough activity to benefit their health. Health Survey for England 1998.
Men
Women
16-24 years
42%
68%
25-34 years
52%
69%
35-44 years
57%
45-54 years
64%
70%
55-64 years
79%
65-74 years
83%
88%

9. Percentage of people not able to walk a mile in 20 minutes: ADNFS
Men
Women
16-24 4
25-34 14
35-44 10 20
45-54 12 40
55-64 30 50
65+ 45 80

10. Percentage of people not able to walk a mile in 20 minutes on a 5% slope
Men
Women
16-24 3 36
25-34 10 50
35-44 23 70
45-54 44 80
55-64 75 90
65-74 84
90+

11. Overweight and Obese Men Health Survey for England (HSE) 1998
1994 (%)
1998 (%)
16-24 years
30.6
27.9
25-34 years
49.7
56.3
35-44 years
61.7
64.7
45-54 years
67.9
73.2
55-64 years
69.2
75.5
65-74 years 71
76.5
Physical activity levels are low in the UK:
While 58% of men and 32% of women aged years are physically activity for 30 minutes or more at least five days a week this level declines rapidly with age.
The majority of the adult population in England are NOT participating in enough physical activity to benefit their health, that is they do not meet current government guidelines of 30 minutes of accumulated moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week.

12. Overweight and Obese Women Health Survey for England (HSE) 1998
1994 (%)
1998 (%)
16-24 years
28.2
27.3
25-34 years
37.6
43.4
35-44 years
44.8
50.6
45-54 years
54.2 60
55-64 years
64.2
67.8
65-74 years 66
70.3
Physical activity levels are low in the UK:
While 58% of men and 32% of women aged years are physically activity for 30 minutes or more at least five days a week this level declines rapidly with age.
The majority of the adult population in England are NOT participating in enough physical activity to benefit their health, that is they do not meet current government guidelines of 30 minutes of accumulated moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week.

13. Overweight and Obese Men and Women: HSE 1998
Age
Obese Men
Obese Women
16-24 years
5.2
10.7
25-34 years
15.9
16.3
35-44 years
16.8
20.5
45-54 years
21.2
23.9
55-64 years
23.3
28.6
65-74 years 29
75+
20.7

14. Comparison of BMIs (DTI 2002)
Country
Weight
Height
BMI UK
M 79.8
W 66.7 M W
M 25.9
W 25.4
USA
M 82.1
W 69.4 M W
M 26.5
W 26.2
Holland
M 76
W 65 M W
M 23.6
W 23.9

15. Waist Circumference (DTI 2002)
Country
Waist Circumference UK
M cm
W cm
USA
M cm
W cm
Japan
M cm
W cm
China
M cm
W cm

16. The Good News
In terms of health risk it is better to be overweight and active than the right weight and inactive!
(Blair, 1999)

17. Added Complication for Post 40s
By this age most people who are sedentary or insufficiently active will start to lose muscle mass and their strength thus reducing functional decline is also a priority.

18. Making a More Rigorous Case

19. Inactivity as a major risk factor

20. Preventable Hazards to Population Health: Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYS)
Occupational hazards
Illicit drugs
Cholesterol
Low fruit/vegetables
Obesity
Alcohol abuse
Hypertension
Physical inactivity
Smoking
Mathers (1999) Burden of Disease and Injury in Australian

21. Physical Inactivity is a MAJOR Health Risk
World Health Organisation (2002)
One of the top ten leading causes of death and disability in the world
Many of the leading causes of disease and disability in our society such as CHD, strokes, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, colorectal cancer, stress, anxiety are associated with too little physical activity.
Preliminary findings from a World Health Organisation study on health risk factors suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is one of the ten leading causes of death and disability in the world.

22. Potential Savings for reducing Physical Inactivity:
Scotland
£85 million saved by increasing physical activity levels by 1% for next 5 years
P.A. Strategy for Scotland 2002 UK
9% CHD could be avoided if sedentary/ lightly active became moderately active
McPherson, Britton & Causer 2002
Several studies have attempted to estimate the potential saving in human lives, health care costs and industry costs if physical activity was reduced. Limited data are available in the UK however
A rough approximation is that inactivity accounts for 15% of US health care budget.
If a 30% reduction in occurrences of CAD, stroke and type 2 diabetes was achieved with a minimum of 5 x 30 minutes of brisk walking: would achieve a saving of $119 billion
Inactivity contributed to 12.4% of direct costs of arthritis at a cost of $8 billion per year
Research Digest Series 3 (16) March 2002

23. Mathers,C. (1999) Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia
Mathers,C. (1999) Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Physical activity appears to be under recognised in terms of public health importance for priority-based resource allocation
Investment in physical activity may be as low as 10% of what it should be given these data on the preventive role of physical activity.

24. What Should we do?

25. Public Health Officials Regional Assemblies Local Councils
Raise the priority given to promoting Purposeful Activity and Health by:
MPs
Civil Servants
Public Health Officials
Regional Assemblies
Local Councils

26. All Sport Bodies
Recognise the significance of Health as an added value to Sport as enrichment of our cultural wealth

27. A Different Perspective
Sport needs to accommodate another dimension
Rusty Ladies example

28. All of us need to:
Recognise what it is that we need to promote

29. Sport and Health: INCREASE ACTIVITY LEVELS OF Sedentary population
Insufficiently active
PROMOTE MORE
Productive/purposeful use of leisure-time

30. THREE KEY AREAS FOR HEALTH GAINS
16-25
Post 35
Post 60

31. Concerns for All Communities
Overweight/obese (all ages)
Reduced functional capacity (post 40)
Counter mental health problems (all ages)

32. Health and Sport: Our task
Helping People to:
Put something active into their lives
Learn to love being active
Develop a commitment as a result of the satisfactions that sport can generate

33. East of England Activity Targets
Age Range
Numbers
of people %
sedentary
5% increase
15-24
600,556
13.5
81,075
4,054
25-44
1,643,339 13
213,634
10,682
45-64
1,304,844
25.5
332,735
16,637
65-74
458,606 41
188,028
9,401
total
4,007,345
815,472
40,774

34. Reducing Sedentary Pop. Targets for East of England
Total sedentary
40,774
Numbers
Target
Primary Care Trusts (PCT) 41
994
GP Surgeries per PCT
Average number 16 62

35. Thank You With your help we can put purposeful Physical Activity into
everyone’s lives.
WE REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

36. Contact:
Len Almond
BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health
Loughborough University
Loughborough LE11 3TU
Tel
Fax
Website: