“Active Travel” to Save Many Lives, Billions of Dollars

LONDON—A detailed economic analysis suggests that billions of dollars could be saved from health-care budgets around the world if people cycled an average of around three kilometres a day and doubled the amount of walking they normally do.
This is the conclusion of a study published in the medical journal, The Lancet, which found the impact of seven diseases could be reduced if countries successfully promoted “active transport” as an alternative to going everywhere by car.
The analysis looks specifically at England and Wales where National Health Service spending was assessed in the context of a modest increase in physical activity brought about by doing more walking and cycling for daily transportation.
Professor Sir Andy Haines of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explains that the research has found there would be substantial reductions in heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, depression, breast cancer and bowel cancer. The benefits would greatly exceed any potential increase in injuries. He makes a plea for political commitment to implement strategies for boosting active travel as a priority for combating the growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases arising from sedentary lifestyles.