MPs attending the first ever first Parliamentary Debate on physical activity have agreed the government has a large role to play in kickstarting a reversal of the current trend towards inactivity.

The well attended debate took place yesterday (18 November) and was the first time Parliament has talked about inactivity in its 800 year history.

ukactive, whose latest report, Steps to solving inactivity, was referred to throughout, has campaigned tirelessly to get physical inactivity onto the public health agenda and is buoyed by the debate.

CEO, David Stalker, said: “Parliament is now on board with the physical inactivity narrative – that’s a clear indication of how far the pendulum has swung. We look forward to driving focus further in 2015 and beyond.”

Minister for Public Health, Jane Ellison, said that physical activity is now “more important than obesity” and that physical inactivity should cease to be “seen within the narrow prism of obesity.”

Nick Smith said there has been great success in turning the tide on smoking and the same priority should now be given to inactivity. We must “walk, dance and play our way to wellbeing,” now he said, rather than maintain such a strong focus on competitive sport.

Other points raised by MPs was that too many people lead sedentary lifestyles and the government has to respond to lifestyle disease if the NHS is to remain financially viable, that not enough usable open space for physical activity is available and that PE confident teachers in primary schools are lacking.

However, it is not just the government which has work to do in this area, the health and fitness industry can make a big difference too. Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image, Caroline Noakes, said it is important that “fitness institutions have a culture where instructors are welcoming” and that it is “important to encourage and not to fat shame.”

Sports and health and fitness clubs need to make sure they are inclusive and welcoming to women. Barbara Keeley MP for Worsley and Eccles, pointed out that women are more inactive than men in every age group up to 65 and called for recognition that women tend to favour informal sports like running and swimming.

ukactive’s Steps to solving inactivity report found that councils have allocated 4 per cent of their public health grant to tackling inactivity in 2014/15 compared to just 2 per cent in 2013/4. New data also shows that more than 70 per cent of councils have raised their allocated budget on physical activity.

Shadow health secretary, Andy Burham, has said that Labour would put physical inactivity at the heart of its manifesto and move the emphasis towards preventative measures, making exercise on prescription available at every GP surgery. http://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=312584