More exercise could save HSE more than €815m annually

MORE than €815 million in health service savings could be made every year if the Irish people exercised for just 150 minutes a week, public health experts have claimed.

New figures compiled by the Health Service Executive (HSE) have shown that the major reduction in health service expenses could be achieved if children, teenagers and adults took a responsible approach to staying healthy.

According to the findings – released yesterday as part of the HSE’s Get Ireland Active national guidelines on physical activity – the Irish population is continuing to suffer from an obesity epidemic, with one in five adults physically inactive.

This figure is even worse in younger age groups, with half of all primary school children, nine in 10 teenage girls and seven in 10 teenage boys failing to get regular exercise – causing serious health problems in later life.

However, the HSE has claimed that if adults and children took part in moderate exercise five days a week these heart, stroke, diabetes and weight concerns could be significantly reduced.

Speaking at the launch of the new guidelines, HSE health promotions manager Maria Lordan Dunphy said the simple step could save more than €815m every year.

“The health system would benefit if people became more active. An Australian study estimated that if Australian people became more active for just 30 minutes per day, it could save the equivalent of €815m a year in costs linked to heart attacks, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, depression and falls.

“The level of inactivity in Ireland is even higher than in Australia, so the possible cost benefits of increased activity may be even greater,” she explained.

Heart and stroke incidents are known to be a contributory factor in more than a third of all deaths in Ireland every year, making them the biggest medical killers in the country, while the 2007 SLÁN survey found that two in five Irish adults are either overweight or obese.

The new national guidelines on physical activity, which are attempting to combat the growing concern over the health of the Irish, can be found at www.getirelandactive.ie or the HSE information line 1850-24-1850.