Sedentary Queenslanders land in hospital at alarming rate

WHAT Queenslanders aren’t doing is proving the fast lane to hospital, with nearly 50,000 of us to be admitted this financial year.

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THE number of Queenslanders admitted to hospital because they are not doing enough exercise is growing by about 2500 a year, with a whopping 45,000 hospitalisations expected this financial year.

Queensland Health data released to The Sunday Mail shows the rate of hospitalisation due to physical inactivity increased by 20 per cent between 2011-12 and 2015-16, when there were 40,000 admissions.

Of these, 48 per cent were for breast and colorectal cancer, 42 per cent were for coronary heart disease and stroke and 10 per cent for diabetes.

Queensland Health predicts in 2017-18 physical inactivity will account for as many as 45,000 hospitalisations.

Heart Foundation healthy living manager Sheree Hughes said sedentary behaviour could increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and adults needed at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week.

“The great thing about physical activity is that if you are more physically active then you tend to have a lower blood pressure, you tend to have a lower cholesterol, you tend to not smoke maybe as much, you tend to eat better because you are thinking about fuelling your body in the right way,” she said.

“If we can keep people out of hospital then it will (also) decrease the burden on the health system.”

Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan said around 39 per cent of Queensland adults and 55 per cent of children did not do enough exercise, warning physical inactivity was a risk factor for some cancers.

“Some people do not fully understand the implications of a sedentary lifestyle,” she said.

“Aside from impacting physical health and wellbeing, the increased risk of cancer should be a concern.”

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said: “We want Queenslanders to be among the healthiest people in the world by 2026 and that’s why we’re investing in programs to help prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes.”