DID YOU KNOW THAT
The 80 bn euro cost of physical inactivity in Europe is equivalent to what the entire world spends on cancer drugs each year!
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A quarter of European adults are insufficiently active
Despite all of the well-established health benefits linked to activity, a large proportion of the world's population remains physically inactive. Measured against the WHO guidelines, a quarter (26%) of adults across Europe are insufficiently active (WHO 2010).
Of the six focus countries examined, the UK sees the highest prevalence of physical inactivity, with 37% of the adult population categorised as being insufficiently active.
Proportion of men and women (18+) who are insufficiently active, six focus countries in Europe, 2010
Source: WHO 2010, Cebr analysis. Data are age-standardised.
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The direct cost of treating inactivity-related disorders is over €9 billion per year
The direct costs presented opposite comprise the total (public and private) health expenditure upon the four major NCDs considered in this study, which can be attributed to physical inactivity. This calculation seeks to understand what societal resources are devoted to treating activity-related disorders. Total direct costs for the six focus countries presented here reached €7.6 billion in 2012, with the direct costs to the EU-28 estimated at €9.2 billion.
Top ten leading risk factors for global mortality (millions of deaths), 2004VIEW FULL REPORT
Source: WHO 2010, Cebr analysis.
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Physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality
The impact of insufficiently-active lifestyles can be seen through comparing inactivity's role in global mortality with those of other risk factors. As illustrated in the chart opposite, physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. A 2009 study by the WHO estimated that physical inactivity accounted for roughly 6% of global deaths in 2004 - equal to around 3.2 million deaths in that year.
Top ten leading risk factors for global mortality (millions of deaths), 2004
Source: WHO 2010, Cebr analysis.
Let's get Europe Moving
Within a few decades, physical inactivity has become one of the leading risks to European citizens' well-being and a growing challenge for European economies. But despite increasing evidence of dramatic health and economic costs associated with physical inactivity, we still lack sufficient initiatives to reverse this negative trend.
Read what ISCA President Says
