Restructuring priorities: Rethinking economic growth for a more active future

Abstract

Physical inactivity is among the most formidable public health challenges of our time. The World Health Organization recently revealed that physical inactivity is on the rise and predicted that globally, there will be around 500 million new cases of preventable non-communicable diseases between 2020 and 2030 if physical inactivity levels remain as they are. But why? What’s driving this formidable public health challenge? In this commentary article, I illustrate how the continual pursuit of economic growth is a key driver underpinning physical inactivity at the population level. I contend that if the priority really is to address physical inactivity at the population level, then the metrics we use to define social progress will need recalibrating.