The good news is that the the health and fitness club sector is growing. The bad news is that obesity remains the biggest challenge facing public policy. Both public and private finess sectors are showing record numbers of members, equating to 12.1 per cent of the population. Indeed, almost 89 per cent of us are now within two miles of a fitness site. So, in theory, there’s no excuse for inactivity.
Age, disability, benefits and employment status are only some of the criteria used to assess eligibility for free or very cheap access — not only to fitness but also to a wide range of sports and recreation — yet every set of figures released on obesity suggest an uphill battle to change the reasons associated with inactivity.
One place near Glasgow knows the challenges well. Coatbridge has been deemed the “fattest” town in Britain, with one in five inhabitants clinically obese. Yet it, and the wider area of North Lanarkshire, was European City of Sport in 2011. Its leisure trust increased participation by 44 per cent and receives around four million customers each year across all its sports and fitness facilities.
Across the country we know it’s quite a challenge to increase activity, but we also know it will be well worth it if we can.
• David Minton is director of The Leisure Database Company