Fitness not fatness should be mantra

The current focus on overweight and obesity by government and health professionals is misguided, according to a keynote speaker said at this week's Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport (ACSMS).

Physical inactivity and the resulting low fitness should be our greatest concern to stem the increasing incidence of chronic disease.

Keynote speaker Rob Newton from The School of Exercise and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University said that fitness not fatness should be the nation's mantra.

Professor Newton explained "research clearly demonstrates that normal weight people who are sedentary are at far greater risk of morbidity and mortality than overweight people who are physically active and fit.

"Evidence shows that being physically active results in a 20% reduction in lung cancer, 30% reduction in breast cancer, 50% reduction in colon cancer and 70% reduction in prostate cancer.

"Up to 50%of patients could be prevented from progressing to Type II diabetes if they met physical activity guidelines.

"Dementia and in particular Alzheimer's disease progression is markedly slowed by appropriate exercise. Exercise is now deemed a critical adjuvant treatment in the management of cancer.

"Breast cancer survivors halve their risk of dying if they can meet a relatively modest exercise dosage and colon cancer patients can increase their disease free survival by 55%.

"It is now well established that cardiorespiratory fitness is the principal predictor of all cause mortality."

From 19th to 22nd October ACSMS 2011 is showcasing the latest in sports science, sports medicine, physical activity promotion and sports injury prevention and is offering a plethora of international and homegrown speakers speaking on a range of topics encompassing groin/football, training effects, physical activity and interventions/policy/advocacy, shoulder, upper limb, biomechanics, physical activity in children/adolescents, rehabilitation and return to sport, and exercise and recovery.

With the theme 'Optimising Health and Fitness - Participation, Prevention and Performance', ACSMS 2011 is being held at The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle.

For more information go to www.sma.org.au/conference/

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