Fitness mountain for Wales to climb

ONE in ten people believe they can boost their fitness by manually changing channels on the television instead of using the remote control.

And most people in the UK think it is healthier to relax rather than to take exercise, believing it is "dangerous" to be active if you are mildly overweight, a study has revealed.

The entrenched negative attitudes towards fitness and health-benefiting activity reveal the mountain Wales has to climb if it is to emulate the Finnish lifestyle and rid itself of the title of the sick man of Europe. In Wales just 28% of the population do enough exercise to benefit their health, compared to 70% in Finland.

The findings also come amid growing concern about the toll the obesity epidemic will take on the nation's health and expert warnings that the crisis can only be reversed by lifestyle changes, including exercise.

Sports dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton, who carried out the study, said the findings confirmed her theory that people in the UK are inactive.

"Obesity is a serious issue in the UK but people often forget that the cause isn't only related to what people eat, she said.

"Lack of physical activity is a major part of the problem - and the solution.

"What I found most intriguing about the results was that people had got the messages about how much physical activity they should be taking, and what types of activity counted.

"But, this was not translated into personal action. While nearly 60% said they didn't have time to be more active, they nevertheless found time to watch television and videos, and to play computer games for several hours a day."

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