Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 March 2012. It was answered by Anne Milton (Conservative) on Monday, 16 April 2012 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Exercise

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of lack of physical exercise to the NHS.

Answer: The estimated direct cost of physical inactivity to the national health service across the United Kingdom is £1.06 billion. This is based upon five conditions specifically linked to inactivity, namely coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colorectal cancer and breast cancer. This figure represents a conservative estimate, since it excludes the cost of other diseases and health problems such as osteoporosis and falls, which affect many older people.

Secondary information