B.C Health Planning 2004 - "The Cost of Physical Inactivity in British Columbia"

Colman, Ronald; Walker, Sally
"The Cost of Physical Inactivity in British Columbia"
B.C. Ministry of Health Planning
November 2004
On the Web (pdf)
Relevance: high

The authors use data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, the Economic Burden of Illness in Canada, and the literature to calculate the cost of physical inactivity in BC.  They estimate that physical inactivity costs the British Columbian health care system $211 million (2001CAN$) (1.8% of provincial health spendig) a year in direct costs.  They also estimate that indirect costs of productivity losses add up to $362 million a year due to premature death and disability, leading to a total cost of $573 million.  5% (1400) of all premature deaths are due to physical inactivity. This results in more than 4,380 potential years of life lost annually.

In 1999, 38% of British Columbians were physically inactive, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000-01).  27% were physically active, the highest rate of all the provinces

Mental illness may also impose a high cost, but the authors could not find the requisite data to calculate that.