The Evidence
Cost to UK economy from preventable conditions estimated £132bn
Preventable Coronary heart disease alone cost the UK over £23 Billion in 2022. It is responsible for 1 in 4 premature deaths in the UK and is the biggest contributor to the gap in life expectancy between those living in the most and least deprived areas.
The health behaviours that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease are smoking, unhealthy eating, drinking too much alcohol and being insufficiently physically active. These risk factors increase the risk of cardiovascular disease but also contribute to the development of clinical risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol that also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Addressing these risk factors holistically would also decrease the risk of many other diseases, including cancer and dementia, and improve many other aspects of life from birth to old age, increase economic productivity and contribute to a better quality of life for residents.
Increasing levels of activity in inactive adults in England to just 30 minutes per week could increase the overall life expectancy of inactive adults by three years.
(Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022)
Addressing the 4 unhealthy behaviours (Physical Inactivity, Alcohol Misuse, Smoking, Unhealthy Diet), using exercise coaching as a catalyst for better lifestyle choices, could lead to an 80% reduction in new cases of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and a 40% reduction in new cases of cancer.
(Dr Peter Attia, Outlive)
The Country Is Getting Sicker - British Medial Association report 2022
Cardiovascular disease facts - British Heart Foundation 2023
Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022