Fit for Gov is our campaign calling on MPs to help Britain get healthy by leading by example and getting active in 2015. In particular, the campaign is calling for MPs to get active in their local areas and take part in free activities to show that improving your health doesn’t have to be costly.
Britain is currently facing a public health time bomb:
- Britain is now the most obese nation in Europe.
- It is recommended by the UK’s Chief Medical Officer that adults take part in at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity a week. However, 50% of the population are totally inactive and the average person does only four days of sports and exercise in any one month
- The proportion of adults that are overweight has increased by almost 10 percent in less than two decades, from 53% of the population in 1993 to 62% in 2012.
- Household purchases of fresh and processed fruit have been declining steadily, by as much as 4.1% between 2008 and 2011.
- Less than one in three adults (27%) consume the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day.
The Government wants Britain to get healthy…
- In January 2012, the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt announced a new National Ambition for Physical Activity, with the aim of a year on year increase in the number of adults that do the recommended physical activity.
- This would not only benefit Britain’s health, but also the NHS – those who do not do any sports have almost 80,000 more in-patient visits annually than those who exercise regularly, cost over £250 million per annum to the NHS.
…But they admit sometimes it’s hard to be healthy
A recent poll revealed that:
- Half (46%) of parliamentarians fail to meet the Government’s recommendation of two and a half hours of moderate activity each week.
- Almost nine in ten MPs (86%) of those questioned admit that they exceed NHS daily calorie guidelines at least once a week – with 71% overeating up to four days a week.
- And half (49%) have embarked on diets in the past 12 months.
So, TCV is calling for MPs to get out and get active with their constituents, proving they are Fit for Government
MPs should help Britain get healthy by:
- Leading by example and getting active
- Taking part in a local, free activity, such as joining a local Green Gym, volunteering group or even going for a run, to emphasise that exercise is accessible to all and doesn’t have to cost
- Sharing your activity on social media using the #Fit4Gov hashtag to raise awareness of getting Britain healthy
For more information call Francesca Dobson on 0800 048 8673 or contact tcv@plmr.co.uk
About TCV Green Gyms
- Recognised by the Department of Health and GPs as having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of those who take part, Green Gyms are outdoors sessions during which instructors guide individuals through activities such as tree planting, food growing, creating footpaths and maintaining woodlands. Improving the health and wellbeing of the individual and creating improved community spaces for all to enjoy.
- Unlike other conservation projects, the emphasis of Green Gyms is very much on health and fitness – volunteers warm up and cool down in preparation for what can be quite vigorous exercise. Almost a third more calories can be burnt in Green Gym sessions than in an average aerobics class.
- TCV’s Green Gyms initiative has recently (December 2014) been awarded almost half a million pound (£475,000) investment by the Cabinet Office and Nesta. TCV plan to grow and support over 600 sustainable Green Gyms over the next 5 years. This will enable more than 15,000 people to improve their health and the places where they live.
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