Lack of exercise is the “new” tobacco. It is strongly associated in large numbers of studies with heart disease, stroke, most cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression, writes sports physician John Orchard.
Exercise medicine
The new government must make physical activity a priority
At some stage during the life of the Rudd government, a study will declare that the negative health effects on Australians from physical inactivity and obesity have surpassed those of smoking. This is a tribute to the efforts of governments past in tackling the scourge of smoking, but equally represents a damning failure to have done anything significant to encourage physical activity, writes sports physician John Orchard.
