Tackling physical inactivity must become a frontline health priority for the UK’s next government, ahead of the separate issue of obesity, says a new Health Select Committee report published today.

The report highlights the “huge health benefits” of physical activity and notes that individual lifestyle interventions need to be underpinned by broader initiatives designed to improve the health of the wider population.

"The extraordinary benefits of exercise in improving physical and mental health should be made clear and accessible to everyone, whatever their current level of fitness,” said chair of the Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP.

“The committee calls on the NHS, Local Authorities and the next government to work together to prioritise prevention and public health and we have set out achievable recommendations for action which could help to transform people's lives and wellbeing.”

There was scathing criticism for the current status quo whereby the NHS spends more money on bariatric surgery for obesity than on a national roll-out of intensive lifestyle intervention programmes. The Committee said the situation is “inexplicable and unacceptable.”

The report marks a major milestone for the physical activity sector led by ukactive – which has long been campaigning for physical inactivity to emerge from the shadow of obesity and be treated as a frontline health concern. The movement gained strong momentum from ukactive’s initial Turning the Tide of inactivity paper and was recently emboldened further by a University of Cambridge report that found physical inactivity is killing twice as many Europeans as obesity.

“For too long have we allowed obesity to eat the public health debate whole, starving inactivity of the attention it deserves,” said ukactive CEO David Stalker.

“This report gives a clear mandate to the newly formed government after the election - whatever its colour or composition - to make tackling physical inactivity a top tier public health priority.

“It is time for the NHS and clinical commissioning groups to put the appropriate amount of emphasis - and resource - behind tackling inactivity in a meaningful, sustainable way.”

To read the full report, click here.