| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 603 final (28.8.13) |
| Publication Date | 28/08/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Physical activity, including regular sporting practice and exercise, is one of the most effective ways of staying physically and mentally fit, combating overweight and obesity and preventing related conditions. In addition, participation in sport and physical activity is correlated with other factors such as social interaction and inclusion. Physical activity is one of the most important health determinants in modern society and sport constitutes a fundamental part of any public policy approach aimed at improving levels of physical activity. The many benefits of physical activity and exercise across the life course are well recorded and more generally add to quality of life, as confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Research supports the role that sport and physical activity has in child and adolescent development and suggests that participation in sport and physical activity in adolescence is positively associated with physical activity levels in adulthood. There is also a growing body of evidence on the positive correlation between exercise and mental health, mental development and cognitive processes. In the Union, physical activity levels are positively correlated with life expectancy, meaning that those countries with higher levels of physical activity tend to have a higher life expectancy. In the Union, the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) is a matter primarily for Member States. In light of the increasing awareness of the importance and beneficial effects of physical activity and the growing financial burden of physical inactivity, many public authorities have stepped up efforts to promote HEPA. As of 2010, a large majority of Member States reported to have at least some form of recommendations in place for physical activity, and many have also developed specific strategies to enable and encourage their populations to become more physically active. Specific measures for this purpose have been launched in different policy areas or sectors, in particular sport, health, transport and education and there are many examples of good practice involving relevant stakeholders. Despite the growing profile given to HEPA promotion and the available tools at national, European and international level, the rates of physical inactivity in the Union remain unacceptably high (e.g. in 2010, 60% of Europeans responded that they exercised or played sport seldom or never). According to the WHO, two-thirds of the adult population in the Union does not reach recommended levels of activity. As a result, physical inactivity is estimated to deprive Europeans of over 8 million days of healthy life every year, on average. While evidence demonstrates vast discrepancies between individual Member States, most countries have not achieved the principal policy objective, namely to increase the proportion of citizens who reach the HEPA levels recommended by the WHO and reiterated in the EU Physical Activity Guidelines. For the Union as a whole, the HEPA promotion policies of Member States have not been effective. This situation runs not only counter to the Europe 2020 Strategy, which acknowledges the need to fight health inequalities as a prerequisite for growth and competitiveness, but is also incompatible with the Union's stated policy ambitions in the fields of sport and health. Research indeed confirms the “evidence-policy gap for action” in addressing physical inactivity and has led to urgent calls for policy action on physical activity as a standalone public health priority. To address this situation, and following expert work in the context of the implementation of the European Union Work Plan for Sport 2011-2014 and input from other fields and levels of expertise (e.g. health and transport), the Council in its conclusions on the promotion of HEPA of November 2012 called on the Commission to present a proposal for a Council Recommendation promoting a cross-sectoral approach based on the EU Physical Activity Guidelines, including a light monitoring framework. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:603:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research, Health |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
