Report Outlines Plan To Counter Inactive Britain

A new report published this week has outlined a four-point plan to overcome an inactive generation in the UK – with the research further highlighting the cost to the UK economy of £8.2bn per year, required to sustain inactive Britons. 

The report was launched at a community centre in Lambeth, with Mayor of London Boris Johnson and double-Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah in attendance.

The ‘Move It’ report, written by the Young Foundation and commissioned by NIKE, Inc., summarises the current state of physical inactivity in the UK. Its four-point plan to combating the problem includes gaining understanding about children’s activity levels, and improving links between school sports and the community.

According to Move It, while London 2012 provided a showcase for elite British sport, fewer and fewer people are engaging in physical activity. The report says only one in 20 adults meet government-recommended levels of 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week. Likewise, a recent survey also found that 5 to 16-year-olds in Britain spends, on average, nearly six hours per day in front of screens.

The Young Foundation claims that increased participation in sports and physically active play will improve healthy outlooks, but also reduce crime, improve mental health, increase educational attainment, and result in more cohesive communities. 

Dr. Will Norman, director of research at The Young Foundation, said: ‘Our enthusiasm for watching sport seems to know no bounds. The problem is that we sit at home watching it, rather than participating ourselves.’

‘Move It outlines the first steps we feel need to be taken in the UK, in order to curtail and turn around an epidemic of inactivity that is costing a fortune and threatening the health and wellbeing of millions.’

Lisa MacCallum Carter, managing director, Access to Sport, Nike Inc., commented: ‘This set of recommendations could not come at a more important time. London 2012 was a huge success, and the UK has an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate its commitment to ‘Inspire a Generation.’ 

‘The key to success will be ensuring that we work collectively to create early positive experiences in sport and physically actively play and to reintegrate physical activity into life more broadly. We look forward to working with the Young Foundation and many others to move this agenda forward.’