Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester and former Labour Party leadership hopeful, has thrown his weight behind the city’s plan to increase the physical activity of its residents.

Last year, Greater Manchester launched its Greater Manchester Moving initiative, a four-year plan that aims to improve the health of 2.8 million people through physical activity and exercise.

Statistics show that 38 per cent of people living in the city region are not active enough. Around 65 per cent of adults and 28 per cent of children are overweight or obese.

This has contributed to a £26.7m (US$35m, €29.8m) cost to the NHS, with one in six deaths down to sedentary lifestyles.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority is working with Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership to tackle the inactivity crisis.

Burnham said that Manchester’s love of sport should make it “the most active part of the country”.

“We need to encourage the people in our city region to move more, to cycle and walk and maximise the contribution to being a healthy society,” he added.

Greater Manchester Moving is aiming to double the rate that people get active, making 75 per cent of the population active or fairly active by 2025.