Take a Zumba class next door and call me in morning

‘A radical move like this could empower people to take responsibility for their own health’

GPS should be based in gyms as part of efforts to tackle the growing obesity crisis, public health experts have said.

Basing family doctors at fitness centres means GPS could prescribe fitness classes and persuade exercise-shy patients to sign up on the spot, they said.

Patients are more likely to take up their doctor’s recommendation to exercise if they are given specific advice – like taking a weekly Zumba class – and it is easy for them to access low-cost facilities, the senior figures said.

The joint report by the Royal Society for Public Health and ukactive, a leading not-for-profit health organisation, also said basing doctors at leisure centres would benefit gym-goers, who would be more likely to call into the GP for vital health checks if they could do so as part of their regular routine.

Steven Ward, chief executive of ukactive, said: “Getting Britain moving is paramount if we are to stem the tide of preventable diseases burdening the NHS. Locating GPS in fitness facilities offers a clear and simple pathway from doctor’s office to gym floor for patients who could benefit the most from regular physical activity.

“GPS could prescribe exercise plans to patients and point them next door to a fitness professional for a gym induction – making it as easy as possible to get inactive individuals moving again.

“For too long the NHS has shouldered the burden of society’s unhealthy lifestyles. A radical and imaginative move like this could empower people to take responsibility for their own health and move towards an NHS focused on prevention over cure.”

More than one in four adults in the UK are now obese and obesity-related conditions cost the NHS more than £1billion a year. Studies have shown British adults lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, which is contributing to the obesity crisis.