Summit tackles 'unfit' Wales

Sports stars like cyclist Nicole Cooke are offering their advice

Sport stars and health experts will be looking at ways of improving the fitness of people in Wales at a unique sport "summit".

Latest figures show 72% of the adult population in Wales do not undertake the recommended levels of physical activity.

The meeting on Thursday, organised by Welsh Sport Minister Alun Pugh, brings together experts from health, education, government, and the media, with the aim of making the nation more active.

Cycling champion Nicole Cooke and several international rugby players are among those attending the two-day event in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Subjects like tackling obesity in children, promoting more active lifestyles for older people and increasing the number of women in sport, are all on the agenda.

Other issues include ways of encouraging sports stars of the future, and using promoting the use of Wales' countryside for exercise.

Sport Minister Alun Pugh is determined to get Wales fitter

Research has shown large numbers of people failing to adopt healthy lifestyles.

The best record is held by the people of Anglesey, where just over 30% of people takeg regular exercise.

Blaenau Gwent, meanwhile, is bottom of the exercise league, with just 20%.

The average across Wales is 27.4%, Figures suggest this leads to the early death of thousands of people in Wales and a £100m bill for treatment.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan will address the summit, while other delegates include Welsh Rugby Union chief executive David Moffett and Megan Compain from the successful Rhondda Rebels basketball team.

'Potential timebomb'

Last month, Mr Pugh warned that, if attitudes to health did not change, the Welsh NHS could be "overwhelmed by a tidal wave of obesity" in a few years' time.

Mr Pugh said Wales was one of the most unhealthy nations in Europe and the lack of exercise taken by a large section of the Welsh population was a "potential timebomb".

Last year, Mr Pugh launched a 20-year draft sport strategy which aimed to bring Wales into line with countries such as Finland, Canada and New Zealand, where people take more exercise.

"We must get the message over to people that you can vastly improve your health and quality of life just by taking some exercise," said Mr Pugh.

"The summit will work out how we do that."

Health experts recommend that everyone should undertake 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five times a week.