Canadian statistics worth serious consideration:
- The total economic burden of excess weight and physical inactivity in Canada is estimated at $29 billion each year (Krueger et al., 2014).
- The projected cost savings of increasing physical activity rates in Canada, by 1% per year, is $2.1 billion per year, or an accumulated burden reduction of $20.3 billion by the year 2030 (Krueger et. al, 2014).
- The total health care cost of physical inactivity related to seven primary chronic diseases is $6.8 billion each year (Janssen, 2012).
The purpose of this study was to provide a contemporary estimate of the health care cost of physical inactivity in Canadian adults. The health care cost was estimated using a prevalence-based approach. The estimated direct, indirect, and total health care costs of physical inactivity in Canada in 2009 were $2.4 billion, $4.3 billion, and $6.8 billion, respectively. These values represented 3.8%, 3.6%, and 3.7% of the overall health care costs.
Health and exercise professionals can change these numbers and positively impact the future of our Canadian health care systems!
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