Brits too lazy to have sex, let alone run for a bus
Tuesday, 1 September 2009, 11:45 • 3309 เข้าชมแล้ว
Brits too lazy to have sex, let alone run for a bus
By Fiona Macrae
We're too tired to play with our children, balk at the idea of climbing two flights of stairs and regularly choose sleep over sex, according to a report which lays bare the full extent of 'couch potato Britain'.
A third of Britons are so lazy that they wouldn't run to catch a bus, it is claimed.
And almost two out of three are so unfit they won't countenance walking up two flights of stairs and will opt to take the lift instead.
Once at home, one in six say that if the remote control was broken, they would prefer to watch a TV programme they didn't like rather than get up to change the channel, according to a study.
The poll, carried out on behalf of private healthcare chain Nuffield Health, also found that lazy lifestyles are having a devastating effect on our sex lives.
Three-quarters of couples surveyed admitted to having trouble mustering enough energy at the end of the day for a night of passion with their partner.
More than half (58 per cent) of those blamed their barren sex lives on a lack of fitness.
Children are also suffering, with two-thirds of parents questioned owning up to regularly being too tired to play with their youngsters.
The study of 2,000 adults concludes that it is no wonder one in six children are classified as obese before they even start school.
Even the health of our pets is at risk. Despite our reputation as a nation of dog-lovers, half of the owners questioned saying they often can't be bothered to take their dog for a walk. Sarah Dauncey, medical director at Nuffield Health, urged Britons to get off their sofas and shape-up.
She said: 'Ready-meals, remote controls and even internet shopping are all contributing to a dangerously lazy and idle Britain.
'People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends, and evidently their pets, too. If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks.'
A sedentary lifestyle raises the risk of a host of health problems, including heart disease, obesity, joint problems, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Dr Dauncey said: 'There are two million Britons with mature-onset diabetes, many because of their lifestyle and lack of exercise.
'But it is a vicious circle. Sometimes because you are unfit you feel tired and so you don't exercise and you become more unfit and lethargic.
'No one is saying that everyone has to run a marathon. You can set aside 25 to 30 minutes three or four times week to do simple things such as walking, cycling or running. It doesn't have to take hours and hours.
'If you have tried and failed before, a fitness centre might provide the motivation you need.'
The survey revealed Glasgow to be Britain's most slothful city, with 75 per cent of people admitting they don't get enough exercise, followed by Birmingham and Southampton in joint second place with 67 per cent admitting their laziness. Bristol came in third, with London, Leeds, Newcastle, Norwich, Manchester and Cardiff making up the rest of the top 10.
A previous study by the healthcare chain found that one in 12 British adults is so overweight that they could qualify for obesity surgery.
Doctors blamed chubby celebrities for adding to the obesity crisis by showing that it is possible to be fat and famous.
By Fiona Macrae
We're too tired to play with our children, balk at the idea of climbing two flights of stairs and regularly choose sleep over sex, according to a report which lays bare the full extent of 'couch potato Britain'.
A third of Britons are so lazy that they wouldn't run to catch a bus, it is claimed.
And almost two out of three are so unfit they won't countenance walking up two flights of stairs and will opt to take the lift instead.
Once at home, one in six say that if the remote control was broken, they would prefer to watch a TV programme they didn't like rather than get up to change the channel, according to a study.
The poll, carried out on behalf of private healthcare chain Nuffield Health, also found that lazy lifestyles are having a devastating effect on our sex lives.
Three-quarters of couples surveyed admitted to having trouble mustering enough energy at the end of the day for a night of passion with their partner.
More than half (58 per cent) of those blamed their barren sex lives on a lack of fitness.
Children are also suffering, with two-thirds of parents questioned owning up to regularly being too tired to play with their youngsters.
The study of 2,000 adults concludes that it is no wonder one in six children are classified as obese before they even start school.
Even the health of our pets is at risk. Despite our reputation as a nation of dog-lovers, half of the owners questioned saying they often can't be bothered to take their dog for a walk. Sarah Dauncey, medical director at Nuffield Health, urged Britons to get off their sofas and shape-up.
She said: 'Ready-meals, remote controls and even internet shopping are all contributing to a dangerously lazy and idle Britain.
'People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends, and evidently their pets, too. If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks.'
A sedentary lifestyle raises the risk of a host of health problems, including heart disease, obesity, joint problems, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Dr Dauncey said: 'There are two million Britons with mature-onset diabetes, many because of their lifestyle and lack of exercise.
'But it is a vicious circle. Sometimes because you are unfit you feel tired and so you don't exercise and you become more unfit and lethargic.
'No one is saying that everyone has to run a marathon. You can set aside 25 to 30 minutes three or four times week to do simple things such as walking, cycling or running. It doesn't have to take hours and hours.
'If you have tried and failed before, a fitness centre might provide the motivation you need.'
The survey revealed Glasgow to be Britain's most slothful city, with 75 per cent of people admitting they don't get enough exercise, followed by Birmingham and Southampton in joint second place with 67 per cent admitting their laziness. Bristol came in third, with London, Leeds, Newcastle, Norwich, Manchester and Cardiff making up the rest of the top 10.
A previous study by the healthcare chain found that one in 12 British adults is so overweight that they could qualify for obesity surgery.
Doctors blamed chubby celebrities for adding to the obesity crisis by showing that it is possible to be fat and famous.
