Health officials have urged people in Britain to exercise more to prevent a "silent epidemic" sweeping the nation, with small things like walking to school rather than driving said to make a big difference.
Britons have been warned a lack of physical activity can impact health as much as smoking. Experts revealed the majority of people in England do not exercise enough.
Local authorities, schools and workplaces are among the institutions which have been offered guidance by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in a bid to encourage people to do more to improve their health.
Dr Harry Rutter, strategic and scientific adviser to the National Obesity Observatory, worked on the new guidance and feels people are unaware of the impact of an inactive lifestyle.
"We all face barriers in changing our lifestyles and many of us feel we don't have the time or the inclination to add regular physical activity into our lives - it can be very difficult to break old habits and change behaviour," he said.
"But walking and cycling to work, to school, to the shops or elsewhere can make a huge difference."
Copyright Press Association 2012
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