Nature is Good for our HEALTH – it could save £108.7million!

Grellier and teammates report that “Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Natural environments support recreational PA. . . . Population-representative data from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey . . . were used to estimate the weekly volume of nature-based recreational PA by adults in England in 2019. We used epidemiological dose–response data to calculate incident cases of six NCDs (ischaemic heart disease (IHD), ischaemic stroke (IS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), colon cancer (CC), breast cancer (BC) and major depressive disorder (MDD)) prevented through nature-based PA. . . . At reported volumes of nature-based PA, we estimated that 550 cases of IHD, 168 cases of IS, 1,410 cases of T2D, 41 cases of CC, 37 cases of BC and 10,552 cases of MDD were prevented, creating annual savings of £108.7million.”
James Grellier, Mathew White, and 9 others. 2024. “Valuing the Health Benefits of Nature-Based Recreational Physical Activity in England.” Environment International, vol. 187, 108667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.108667