How costly is physical inactivity?
Canada’s Health Care spending was estimated at $121.4 billion dollars (10% of the Gross Domestic Product of Canada) in 2003, up from $84 billion spent in 1998. The total cost of illness in Canada in 1998 is estimated to be $159.4 billion: $83.9 billion (52.7%) in direct costs and $75.5 billion (47.3%) in indirect costs. Cardiovascular diseases is the most costly diagnostic accounting for 11.6% ($18.5 billion) of the total cost of illness. The economic burden of illness for Ontario is $56.6 billion, Quebec $36.1 billion, and British Columbia at $22.2 billion, account for approximately 70% of the economic burden of illness in Canada in 1998. For more information, see the following three benchmarks reports: 2002 Physical Activity, Cost of Physical Inactivity, 1997 Physical Activity Benchmarks (p. 31), Foundation for Joint Action: Reducing Physical Inactivity (p. 21) and Increasing Physical Activity: Creating Effective Communications (p. 19 and 20). See also our Research File summaries ent
