PRIVATE SECTOR SPORTING GOODS
AND FITNESS INDUSTRIES CALL
FOR URGENT AND COORDINATED
ACTION TO ADDRESS GROWING
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY CRISIS

DECATHLON CEO, Barbara Martin Coppola says, "Physical inactivity is a major issue for communities right across the globe. Movement can have an incredibly positive impact on people's wellbeing, both mentally and physically, even if it's just a few minutes per day. At Decathlon, we're huge advocates of helping people to incorporate movement into their daily routine, for the benefit of their individual health, but also for society as a whole. Through our purpose, to Move People Through the Wonders of Sport, our aim is to build a happier, healthier world by making it easier for people to practice the sports
they love in ways that suit them."

WFSGI Chair Andy Rubin adds, “Tackling the global inactivity crisis requires teamwork. The new adult inactivity data shows that not enough is being done to reverse in
activity. That’s why, despite being competitors in business, we are coming together to share our expertise on consumer behaviour and engaging people in community sports and physical activity. We are all in this business to help people be more active and develop a lifelong passion for sport and activity and the benefits that brings.”

Emma P. (Mason) Zwiebler, WFSGI CEO goes on to explain how the WFSGI is committed to uniting our
industries and facilitating effective partnership-led action to support healthier people and a more active planet.
“The new WHO data is very worrying from a public health perspective but also from an industry standpoint. Getting the world to move more is a business imperative for the members we represent,” says Zwiebler. “This moment is a huge opportunity to harness the collective power of the sporting goods and health and fitness industries a s key solution providers for a healthier, more active planet for all. We are proud to work alongside our WFSGI members, fellow trade associations, and leading CEOs who have come out to support this statement and who share our vision of driving multistakeholder cooperation to deliver meaningful change for global health and business.”

The new data showing rising levels of physical inactivity among populations worldwide is having direct implications for public health, contributing to the rise in obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes.

While global inactivity levels by adults was still estimated at 28%, the WHO had calculated the cost of physical inactivity to exceed US$ 300 billion based on estimates that by 2030 nearly 500 million more people are expected to develop health conditions that can be prevented by regular physical activity.

Physical inactivity levels in adolescents are above 80% and the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on levels of physical activity amongst children is not yet known. Without urgent action to reverse this trend, there is a very real risk that children and young people, as they grow older, will become a major health and economic burden on society.

The private sector sporting goods and fitness industries are making the following commitments which will be enabled through multi-stakeholder collaboration. The industries will:

1. Raise awareness of the crisis because it is not getting sufficient government or media attention and therefore needs a stronger strategic and co-ordinated response from the private sector.
2. Support people to lead more physically active lives by building on the industries’ expertise of marketing the power of sport and physical activity to the world and channelling its passion, creativity and energy into impactful interventions to reverse physical inactivity trends.
3. Leverage the power of major sporting events to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and deliver community-level initiatives targeting inactive people.
4. Create partnerships within the business community and across sectors to co-create a new era of workplace health, active travel and physical activity initiatives encouraging employees to engage in active, healthy lifestyles.

The sporting goods and fitness industries are already working hard to tackle physical inactivity through targeted community-level interventions. However, we are calling for a more collaborative approach that will deliver greater impact more quickly.

We are united in our belief that physical activity has multiple benefits, for example the promotion of active travel has direct benefits for both health and protecting the planet.  While it is also recognised that quality Physical Education in schools directly benefits young people’s mental health and academic achievement.

The sporting goods and fitness industries are committed to working together, alongside public sector policy makers and the WHO, to address global physical inactivity levels. As a united voice, we fully support the WHO in its work to implement the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA). The new inactivity data reveals the world is off track to meet the WHO target of a 15% relative reduction in the global prevalence of physical inactivity in adults and adolescents by 2030.