North Swindon MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sport, Justin Tomlinson, has hosted a major event in Parliament in collaboration with UKActive to discuss tackling physical inactivity.
UKActive are a not-for-profit body comprised of members and partners from across the UK active lifestyle sector. It provides services and facilitates partnerships for a broad range of organisations, all of which support the vision of more people, more active, more often to improve the health of the nation. The organisation's membership, which stands at over 3,000 members, includes operators of fitness facilities of all sizes, as well as local authority leisure centres, leisure trusts, outdoor fitness providers, trainers, sports providers, education and training providers, lifestyle companies, equipment suppliers and charities.
Physical activity is increasingly becoming central to some of the fastest growing sectors in the country, including preventative health, digital delivery of health, corporate wellness, and leisure. The event discussed how technology and innovation can promote physical activity, and can address some of the public health issues the country is facing. It also discussed ukactive’s Active Lab programme – a technology accelerator programme which promotes, fosters and accelerates cutting-edge innovation in health and physical activity from the UK and across the globe.
Physical inactivity now the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. In the UK physical inactivity is a major health concern and the cost to the nation now stands at £20bn per year, while a lack of physical activity causes up to 37,000 premature deaths per year in England.
The event brought together over ninety delegates, consisting of ukactive’s leading members and partners - the physical activity providers that continually work to improve the health of the nation and deliver on the Government’s ambition to build a more active Britain – as well as prominent parliamentarians and the key players in the technology and innovation space.
During his speech, Justin discussed the need to ensure we give children the best start in life and instill healthy, active lifestyles. He highlighted the fact that:
- 1 in 5 children in Reception are overweight or obese
- 1 in 3 children in Year 6 are overweight or obese
- There were 525,000 NHS admissions where obesity was a factor
- Obesity & inactivity costs the NHS around £6bn a year
He also talked about how when he visits schools to teach students how Parliament works (where assemblies are used to allow the children to pass their own Bill) every school chooses to pass legislation for more school sport.
Justin also built on his call for improved facilities with schools and local communities, paid for by funds raised from the sugar tax, as well as opening up these facilities to sports camps & community groups for free between 4pm & 6pm.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "I was delighted to be able to host this fantastic event in Parliament. Inactivity leads to serious ongoing health concerns, which cost the NHS £6bn a year. Through my work locally and as Co-Chair of the APPG for Sport, I am actively working to promote healthy active lifestyles and to improve access to sporting and other recreational facilities, including through monies raised by the sugar tax."
