IHRSA• Seaport Center • 70 Fargo Street • Boston, MA, USA• 02110• www.ihrsa.org

Making the world a healthier, more

prosperous place.

In September 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations convened Heads of State, Health Ministers and other political leaders from around the world to adopt measures to escalate the the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of illness. The measures recognized the growing threat posed by NCDs to global health and economic productivity. According to the World Health Organizations, 60% of global deaths are caused by non-communicable disease, with that number expected to rise to 75% by 2030. An economic analysis reported by WHO suggests that a 10% rise in NCDs corresponds to a .5% reduction of annual economic growth.

WHO recently issued a landmark report, Preventing Chronic Disease: A Vital Investment, which framed the

massive scale and severity of the problem and the urgent need for action. Lee Jong-wook, Director-General, WHO, wrote "The cost of inaction is clear and unacceptable. Through investing in vigorous and well- targeted prevention and control now, there is a real opportunity to make significant progress and improve the lives of populations across the globe."

A statement by Olusegun OBASANJO, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria captured why action must be taken. "Governments have a responsibility to support their citizens in their pursuit of a healthy, long life. It is not enough to say, ‘we have told them not to smoke, we have told them to eat fruit and vegetables, we have told them to take regular exercise.’ We must create communities, schools, workplaces and markets that make these healthy choices possible."

Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous World Creating a New Paradigm

IHRSA• Seaport Center • 70 Fargo Street • Boston, MA, USA• 02110• www.ihrsa.org

Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous World Vision of Success

The members of the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association (10,000 members in 71 countries) are committed to playing a major leadership role in combating the rise of NCDs, at both the community and national levels. Specifically, IHRSA members share a Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous World achieved by focusing on primary prevention through healthy living and regular exercise. The three fundamental tenets of the Vision are as follows:

• Citizens, legislators, and community leaders will understand and respond to the documented correlation between chronic disease and primary prevention.

• Public policies and principles will promote primary prevention, incentivize and encourage personal responsibility, and remove barriers to healthy lifestyle choices.

• Businesses, medical professionals, and local public health communities will encourage individuals to accept personal responsibility for their own health through supporting the active practice of primary prevention.

This Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous World is a unifying game plan to foster a culture of wellness from the ground up, by encouraging local health clubs to: 1) work together to advocate for health promotion legislation at the local, national and international levels; and 2) work toward making their clubs valuable community resources for disease prevention and healthy living. Actions to realize the Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous World have already begun. Specific examples from around the world include the following:

• In the United States, Congress the vision has lead to a

unanimous resolution in the Senate supporting the value of physical activity-based policy interventions; introduction of legislation that would allow the expenses associated with physical activity to be deductible as a medical prevention expense; and other legislation that would to encourage worksite wellness programs for businesses of all sizes.

• IHRSA has participated in the White House’s Let’s Move and Joining Forces initiatives, as well as the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award

• IHRSA co-chairs the Business/Industry Sector of the National Physical Activity Plan, which includes development of a CEO Pledge to provide physical activity opportunities for employees.

• In Canada, the national government has pledged to implement an adult fitness tax credit as soon as the budget is balanced and they have already introduced a children fitness tax credit at the provincial level.

• In the UK, MoreActive4Life launched a three-year national consumer campaign designed to complement the government’s Change4Life programme and implement targeted programs aimed at specific populations to encourage more physical activity.

• . In Australia, the club industry partners with the national government to offer, Lift for Life, a strength based training program for people with type 2 diabetes.

• . In Ireland, IHRSA’s strategic partner ILAM, in conjunction with the national government, offers a GP Exercise referral programme based in health clubs.

You may think of health clubs as part of the fitness industry, but in reality, we are part of a much broader movement – the prevention community, of which healthy lifestyles is a key component.