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For immediate release: September 3, 2004 (04-102)
Contacts:
Charlotte Claybrooke,
Nutrition and Physical Activity program 360-236-3623
Kate Lynch, Communications Office 360-236-4072
Not getting enough physical activity costs the state billions
OLYMPIA ¾ The cost of physical inactivity in Washington is staggering. A recent study by the state Department of Health and Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity estimates the price tag in our state at more than $5 billion in 2002. The good news is you don’t have to be a marathoner to help turn the problem around – small changes can add up.
The study, conducted by Health Management Associates, concludes that physical inactivity contributes to chronic diseases and loss of work productivity. Direct costs were estimated to be $118 million in cardiovascular diseases, $44.6 million in mental health due to depression and anxiety, $17.3 million in muscle and bone injuries, $9 million in diabetes and other metabolic disorders, $7.4 million from breast and colon cancer, and $1.3 million from carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive injuries. Indirect costs, identified as lost work productivity, total $4.6 billion.
The executive summary of the report is available online at: http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/NutritionPa/publications/the_cost_of_inactivity.pdf. The complete report – The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity Among Washington State Adults – is available on request by calling 360-236-3623.
Making little changes to increase the amount of physical activity in your daily life can make a big difference. "Last year I began walking to work during Walk and Roll, (Skagit County’s promotion to reduce commuting trips) and I forgot to stop," said Burlington Fire Chief Mark Anderson, who has lost 25 pounds since he started walking to work. "My family has a history of living long lives, and I want to be in good enough shape to enjoy my life as I get older."
The Department of Health is working with organizations and agencies around the state to develop ways to make physical activity easier and eliminate the barriers that exist that prevent people from making the healthy choice.
The Department of Health is a lead agency in the Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (WCPPA). The coalition recently held a public policy workshop, hosted by REI, focusing on physical activity policy. As a result of this meeting and other discussions, the group has recommended support for these priorities: 1) transportation facilities and services oriented for bicycles and pedestrians, 2) land use planning and development that supports active living, and 3) communication efforts that promote active living. Funding for this workshop and the cost of physical inactivity report is made possible by the National Governors Association Centers for Best Practices, in collaboration with Active Living Leadership, a national initiative supported by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, the Washington State Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Our goal is to help people to get moving – a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week," said State Health Officer Dr. Maxine Hayes. "Although making individual choices about being physically active is important, it is equally important that the environment we live in supports us in making healthy choices."
Definitions of moderate physical activity and recommendations for maintaining and improving health are available online (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/index.htm). The Department of Health supports programs in communities throughout the state to improve access to areas and facilities, everything from better neighborhood sidewalks to parks and physical education in the schools that make physical activity opportunities available for all ages.
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