Exercise and healthy living is the “miracle treatment” which could go a long way to easing the pressure on Scotland’s crippled NHS. With a growing number of elderly people and a Scottish lifestyle plagued by obesity, alcohol, drug and smoking addiction, hospitals and GP surgeries are facing record demand.
And experts believe that a healthier lifestyle as the population ages is vital to the survival of the NHS in its current form. Dawn Skelton, professor of ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University, is among those trying to encourage better habits among patients.
She said: “Physical activity reduces our risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. It reduces symptoms of disease. It is a miracle treatment but it is just not in a pill.”
