Australians ignoring message from physical activity pioneer

Sixty years after the first study linking heart attacks with physical inactivity, millions of Australians continue to ignore the importance of regular physical activity, a leading international disease prevention expert says.

In 1953, British scientist Jerry Morris first published his ground-breaking research identifying sedentary behaviour as a key factor in widespread heart disease and heart attacks killing unprecedented numbers of people post-war.

Morris' pioneering study of London double-decker bus drivers and conductors found that conductors were half as likely as their drivers to drop dead of a sudden heart attack because they were constantly climbing the stairs collecting fares, compared to drivers who sat all day.

Commenting Morris' findings, Sydney University Professor of Public Health Professor Adrian Bauman states "Jerry Morris is rightly credited with being the man who first demonstrated the health benefits of exercise.

"His 'eureka' moment was discovering that exercise reduces heart disease and helps you live longer.

"His ground-breaking work provided the evidence we need to change the practice of preventive medicine.

"Unfortunately, however, millions of Australians are still not hearing the message that they need to get more physically active in life, something we saw in the recent 2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey on physical activity."

The 60th anniversary of the Busman's Survey coincides with the recently released Australian Bureau of Statistics Health Survey on physical activity, which showed only 43% of Australian adults meet the recommended minimum of 30 minutes of daily physical activity.

Heart Foundation National Cardiovascular Health Director Dr Robert Grenfell said being active and sitting less were both important in reducing the risk of heart disease, the number one killer of Australian men and women.

Dr Grenfell added "being active for the recommended minimum of 30 minutes a day is a start but what we do in the remaining 23-and-a-half hours is still vital.

"If you drive to work, have a desk job and watch TV at night, your sitting time quickly adds up and we know that too much sitting can increase your risk of heart disease by as much as 50%."

Click here to view the Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2011/12.