Physical Inactivity Linked To Higher Healthcare Costs In American Adults

A caller study published successful nan American Journal of Health Promotion finds that inadequate leisure-time aerobic beingness activity accounts for $192 cardinal successful yearly healthcare costs among U.S. adults-12.6% of full nationalist wellness attraction spending.

Researchers analyzed information from much than 76,000 adults betwixt 2012 and 2019. The findings are stark:

• 52.4% of adults met aerobic activity guidelines
• 20.4% were insufficiently active
• 27.3% were wholly inactive
• The mean big incurred $6,566 successful yearly healthcare costs

Compared to progressive adults:

• Insufficiently progressive adults incurred $1,355 much than progressive adults successful yearly wellness attraction costs.
• Completely inactive adults incurred $2,025 much per year.

"Aerobic beingness activity is an finance successful health-it strengthens nan heart, reduces chronic illness burdens, and empowers america to unrecorded pinch power and freedom," said 1 of nan study's co-authors, Dr. Adam Chen, of nan University of Georgia's College of Public Health.

Despite humble nationalist gains successful beingness activity, wellness attraction costs proceed to rise, mostly driven by preventable chronic conditions. The consequences are being felt crossed sectors.

"These findings supply further economical reasons for wellness systems, payers, and clinicians to merge beingness activity assessment, prescription, and referral into wellness attraction delivery," said co-author Laurie Whitsel, PhD, National Vice President of Policy Research astatine nan American Heart Association and Senior Advisor to nan nationalist Physical Activity Alliance. "We request to animate and support group to make beingness activity a regular portion of their day."

Co-author Jennifer Matjasko, PhD, of nan CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, underscored nan powerfulness of a elemental solution hiding successful plain sight. "Moving much passim nan time tin thief amended wellness and trim wellness attraction costs," she said. "Every measurement counts toward a healthier future."

The Physical Activity Alliance, nan nation's largest conjugation advancing beingness activity argumentation and systems change, is calling for contiguous cross-sector action:

• Make beingness activity a modular of attraction successful wellness care. It must beryllium assessed, tracked, and, wherever necessary, prescribed-just arsenic humor unit aliases cholesterin are assessed and tracked, and addressed pinch prescriptions erstwhile needed.
• Redesign workplaces to make activity nan norm. Sedentary activity civilization is accelerating chronic disease.
• Transform communities done policies that make beingness activity safe, easy, and unavoidable-where group live, learn, work, and play.

We're spending astir 1 retired of each 8 wellness attraction dollars connected thing we tin prevent. We request to position beingness activity arsenic an basal wellness attraction solution to animate group to move crossed their time successful recreation, to and from work, successful their jobs, astatine location and successful schools." 

Michael Stack, ACSM-EP, President of nan Physical Activity Alliance