On the state of public health: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2009In this year’s Annual Report, the Chief Medical Officer addresses five new health topics. The first,is the importance of establishing and maintaining regular physical activity throughout life. The benefits of exercise are well known. Health benefits include: stopping and reversing weight gain; reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers; and preventing osteoporosis and reducing falls in older people. Indeed, at every stage of life, physical activity has something to offer. It is never too late to begin and we are never too old to continue. Over the last 50 years, activity levels, particularly amongst the young, have fallen. As individuals and as a society we pay a high price for inactivity. Despite knowing the importance of exercise, we have not created an active society. This chapter reviews the benefits of physical activity at different life stages, and makes recommendations on how to promote a culture of activity throughout life. Although this is a frequently reviewed topic, the potential benefits of nature’s finest cure are still not widely appreciated.Quote from the CMO report: The potential benefits of physical activity to health are huge. If a medication existed which had a similar effect, it would be regarded as a ‘wonder drug’ or ‘miracle cure’.
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| Format | Adobe PDF (.pdf)
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| Home Location | ERPHO |
| National or Regional | National |
| Short Title | CMO report 2009 |
| Rights | © Crown Copyright |
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| Publication date | 15 Mar 2010 | | Contributor(s) | Department of Health |
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