PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH Key Facts and Figures

1
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTHKey Facts and Figures
2
Opportunities for Physical Activity

• At work
• For transport
• In domestic duties
• In leisure time
• The majority of people do very little or no
  physical activity in any of these domains1

3
Health Risks of Physical Inactivity 1

• Leading causes of disease and disability
  associated with physical inactivity
• Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Type II Diabetes
• Hypertension

4
Health Risks of Physical Inactivity

• 6. Colorectal cancer
• 7. Stress and Anxiety
• 8. Osteo-arthritis
• 9. Osteoporosis
• 10. Low back pain
• 37 of CHD deaths can be attributed
• to physical inactivity
• Britton McPherson (2002)

5
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityPremature
Mortality

• 134, 611 men 89,756 women died prematurely
  from all-causes in 2000 in England
• Moderate-to-high levels of physical activity are
  associated with lower all-cause mortality rates
• Sedentary people experience a 1.2
• to a 2- fold increased risk of dying prematurely

6
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityCardiovascula
r Disease (CVD)

• 36 of premature deaths in men 28 of premature
  deaths in women are from CVD in England
• CHD accounts for 24 of premature deaths in men
  14 of premature deaths in women
• Individuals who are active are 1.9 times less
  likely to have a heart attack than inactive
  people 5

7
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityCancer

• Colo-rectal cancer accounts for 3 of premature
  deaths in men and women
• Over 7000 women died prematurely from breast
  cancer in England in 2000
• Regular physical activity is associated with a
  decreased risk of developing colon cancer by up
  to 50

8
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityType II
Diabetes

• 1.1 million people have been diagnosed with type
  II diabetes
• Regular physical activity lowers the risk of
  developing non-insulin dependent diabetes
  mellitus by 50
• Risk may also be reduced in groups of people with
  impaired glucose tolerance

9
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityHypertension

• 14 of deaths from CHD in men and 12 in women
  are due to raised blood pressure
• 41 of men 33 of women have hypertension in
  England
• Regular physical activity prevents or delays the
  development of high BP
• It also helps to reduce systolic
• diastolic BP by 6-7mmHg

10
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityOsteoporosis

• 1 in 3 women 1 in 12 men, over the age of 50,
  in the UK will sustain a spine, hip or wrist
  fracture due to osteoporosis
• 1 in 3 over 65s and 50 of over 85s fall each
  year
• Regular weight bearing physical activity is
  essential for normal skeletal development
• Strength training and other forms of exercise in
  older women reduces the risk of hip fracture by
  50

11
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityWeight
Control

• 46 of men and 32 of women are overweight
• 17 of men and 21 of women are obese
• Regular physical activity reduces
• the risk of becoming obese by
• 50 compared to people with
• sedentary lifestyles

12
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityPsychological
Well-being

• Mixed anxiety and depression is experienced by
  9.2 of adults in Great Britain
• Regular physical activity appears to
• Relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Improve mood
• It may protect against the development of mild
  forms of depression
• It is associated with improved self-esteem

13
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityBrain
Function

• 18,500 people with dementia are
• aged under 65 years
• Physical activity enhances and protects brain
  function
• It may delay age-related neuron dysfunction and
  degeneration responsible for cognitive decline
  and personality changes 6

14
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityPainful
Conditions

• Physical activity
• Is essential for maintaining the health of joints
• Controls the symptoms of arthritis and
  osteoporosis
• Helps to improve stamina in people with
  disabilities
• Can help to prevent lower back pain
• Can help to manage lower back and knee pain

15
Health Benefits of Physical ActivityHealth
Related Quality of Life

• Physical activity improves health-related quality
  of life through
• Enhancing psychological well-being
• Improving physical functioning
• Enables individuals to maintain independence and
  mobility in later life

16
Health Risks of Physical Activity3

• Most musculo-skeletal injuries sustained during
  physical activity are likely to be preventable
• Injuries sustained during competitive sports have
  been shown to increase the risk of developing
  osteoarthritis
• Serious cardiac events can occur with physical
  exertion, HOWEVER, the overall benefit of regular
  physical activity is lower all-cause mortality

17
Inequalities in Health

• Mortality rates among men and women are 3 times
  higher for those in social class V than those in
  I
• There is a marked social gradient in many of the
  leading causes of disease and disability in the
  UK
• Physical Inactivity mirrors the health
  disparities seen among men and women in social
  class IV V

18
Summary

• Physical inactivity is estimated to cause 1.9
  million deaths globally
• The proportion of deaths attributed to physical
  inactivity is about 5-8
• Physical inactivity is one of the top 10 leading
  causes of death and disability in the developed
  world
• Health benefits of physical activity are
  particularly important for individuals in
  socio-economic groups IV and V

19
References

• World Health Organisation (2002). The World
  Health Report Reducing risks, promoting healthy
  life. France WHO
• Britton and McPherson, K. (2002). Monitoring the
  progress of 2010 target for CHD Mortality
  Estimated consequences on CHD incidence and
  mortality from changing prevalence of risk
  factors. London National Heart Forum
• US Department of Health and Human Services,
  Centres for Disease Control and Prevention,
  National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention
  and Health Promotion, The Presidents Council on
  Physical Fitness and Sports. (1996). Physical
  Activity and Health A report of the Surgeon
  General. Pittsburgh CDC.

20
References

• World Health Organisation (2002). World Health
  Day Move for Health. www.who.into/world-health-da
  y
• Blair, S.N. et al. (1992). How much physical
  activity is good for health? Annual Review of
  Public Health. 13 99-126.
• Cotman, C.W. Engesser-Cesar. (2002). Exercise
  enhances and protects brain function. Exercise
  and Sport Sciences Reviews. 30 (2) 75-79.
• British Heart Foundation (2002). Coronary heart
  disease statistics BHF statistics database 2002.
  London British Heart Foundation.

21
Images

• Images provided by
• Microsoft Office Online (2003)