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— LONDON, May 13

LONDON, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) will pledge over GBP200 million of Health and Fitness Industry investment to deliver for the Government on its public health goals. The announcement will be made at the FIA's summit on Wednesday May 14.

The industry is pledging to triple any Government investment designed to 'get more Britons, more active more often' in an effort to tackle the nation's public health crisis head-on.

Andrew Lansley CBE MP, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Norman Lamb MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary will also be at the summit to outline their response. Government minister to be confirmed.

The FIA, which represents the GBP3.6bn industry, over 5,700 exercise facilities and 30,000 trained exercise professionals nationwide, has stated that the onset of over 20 lifestyle diseases can be retarded by exercise.

It claims that the cost of treating these diseases could be more than halved if there was a greater emphasis on prevention and a more sustained focus on encouraging more people to be more active more often - cross-departmental obesity strategy alone, for example, costs the country almost GBP372m a year and yet it is anticipated that in just over 40-years time the disease will affect 50% of adults.

"This is not a political issue but a matter of common sense," said Andree Deane, CEO, Fitness Industry Association.

"For the past 40 years governments, healthcare professionals and consumers have been fixated with diets and food management and yet we have seen obesity levels go through the roof.

"But it is just not about obesity. There are another 20 diseases which we can retard the onset of - and do it now. The fitness industry has the capability, the capacity, the trained experts and above all the desire to do something and do something now. That is why we have made this public pledge and are willing to triple any Government investment designed to increase the nation's activity levels.

"If, for example, the Government invests GBP100m in trying to get more people to be more active more often, then we will donate over GBP200m of trained expertise and fully equipped facilities to help it deliver that strategy.

"Whilst we deliberate and strategise the health of the nation suffers; that is why we passionately believe that now is the time to act."

The spiralling costs of treating obesity and the other associated lifestyle diseases are collectively bankrupting the NHS, despite record Government investment in the sector over the last 10 years; hence the industry's plea for a greater focus and investment on prevention in order to address public health problems such as:

- Obesity and children:

- 1 in 4 children enter primary schools overweight/obese

- 1 in 3 children leave primary schools overweight/obese

- Type 2 diabetes: children sufferers have risen ten-fold in the last 10 years

- Asthma: we have one of the highest levels of hospital admissions in the world

- Chronic Heart Disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, osteoporosis and cancer.

Editors note:

The FIA's summit entitled 'Delivering The Government's Public Health Strategy' will take place on Wednesday May 14 2008 at The Jolly St Ermine, Westminster. It will be attended by both fitness industry leaders and MPs with an active interest in Public Health.

For more information please contact Howard de Souza, +44-207-383-3623/+44-773-495-6132 or Clair Whitefield on +44-207-554-5043/+44-7903-42-48-22 or hdesouza@theproffice.com/ cwhitefield@theproffice.com

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