The Thin End

The evidence clearly shows that maintaining an active life keeps older people healthier.   Thus, the more we invest as a society and communities helping older people stay fit and active, the less strain it would place on our overstretched health services.  It is just simple common sense.  Maintaining a healthy life in old age should be based on more than a cocktail of drugs. In England, we spend around £18-20 billion annually on medicines.  With an average growth of about 5% per year, this is set to go up and up. Spending on resources for the elderly to keep active in their communities would pay massive dividends.   This is why we must invest in local infrastructure to help older people remain active.  This requires not just facilities at particular locations but also decent transport to enable older people to access them. Such an approach would be supported by the evidence.   Physically active older adults benefit from reduced risks o...