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Wanless report criticises gym subsidy proposals
The long awaited health report from Derek Wanless has been met with disappointment by the health club industry.
Wanless’s second report on improving the nation’s health described proposals for gym membership subsidy as ‘ineffective and inequitable’.
It said that subsidising gym fees may increase gym membership, but would not encourage people to exercise more and that much of the subsidy would go to the middle classes.
“Gyms are not found in all locations, so the subsidy will tend to assist certain healthier sections of society more, increasing health inequalities,” it said.
The chief executive of LA Fitness, Fred Turok, said he was disappointed by the criticism of the government’s gym membership subsidy proposal.
In a letter to The Times, Turok said: “If the government’s Activity Coordination Team is to reach its goal of seeing 70 per cent of the population participating in regular exercise by 2020 – double the current rate – it will need the backing of the private sector.
“Corporate tax breaks on health club membership, which is what the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has been lobbying the government for, would help companies to take responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their employees.
“Regular exercise is as close as medicine has come to finding a magic bullet for good health. The National Health Service could save millions each year if there was just a small rise in the number of people exercising.”