The Government’s own figures show that, as the second biggest preventable cause of cancer, obesity costs the NHS some £6.5bn annually. More than a quarter (26%) of all adults and a similar number (23.4%) of children aged 10 to 11 in England are living with this issue. Clearly, this places significant strain on the UK’s national health and social care systems.
2nd December 2024
The Government says it is acting to tackle the problem, with measures including the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and its funding of initiatives such as the PE and Sport Premium for schools.
Clearly, diet and nutrition are key to reducing the national problem of obesity, but getting adults and kids more active through physical activity must also be an essential part of any overarching public health strategy.
As a statement on guidelines on physical activity from the chief medical officer said in recent years: “In adults, there is strong evidence to show the positive effect of physical activity on a range of chronic conditions including obesity.
“Regular physical activity can deliver cost savings for the health and social care system and has wider social benefits for individuals and communities.”
Sport England, the government body which aims to make sport and physical activity a regular part of life for everyone across England, says inactivity is reckoned to be behind one in six deaths, at a yearly price to the NHS of around £1bn. So investing in sport and exercise can potentially lead to significant long-term savings for the NHS at both local and national level.
This autumn, the same organisation published the results from the first year of a three-year study called The Social Value of Sport and Physical Activity in England, which put the annual social value of community sport and physical activity in England at £107.2bn. That includes £96.7bn in annual wellbeing value for adults, young people and children participating and volunteering in sport and physical activity.
The remaining £10.5bn comes from broader savings in the yearly costs to the health and social care systems, including through illness prevention, less use of mental health and GP services and reduced need for unpaid, informal care.
Sport England joined forces on the study with Sheffield Halland and Manchester Metropolitan universities, plus State of Life, who are social value consultants. The work highlighted the extensive economic and social benefits of physical activity and sport in communities across the country, and will continue for the next two years.
Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty commented: “Being physically active is one of the best ways of staying healthy and independent throughout our lives, and this report shows that we need to make this easier for particular groups.”
Sport England has also created an Inequalities Matrix tool to assess inequality levels in exercise holistically. This found disproportionate added social value among adults, for example, who are living with a disability or long-term health condition.
At Fresh Air Fitness, a leading UK provider of outdoor gym equipment, we were already aware of the social value of exercise and the potential for extensive savings to the NHS both locally and nationally. And we believe outdoor facilities have a particular part to play in terms of giving access to workout sessions with no barriers and no charge to the end user. What’s more, these amenities are local, cost-effective, quick and simple to install, with low maintenance making them highly convenient and incredibly effective solution for local authorities and their communities.
We provide outdoor gyms across the UK, from design and manufacture to installation and beyond, and have worked on thousands of projects to date. Our gym equipment is designed for children or adults of all abilities and fitness levels, including those with disabilities or who may be new to exercise. The machines are also varied enough to give users a full-body workout, incorporating strength and cardiovascular exercises.
Contact us today, whether you’re a local authority, school, corporate client, housing association or any other type of community.
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