The report highlights that:

up to two-thirds of men and three quarters of women don't take enough physical   activity for a health benefit; a quarter of adults and six per cent of 2-20 year olds are obese; and the cost of inactivity “ direct costs of treatment and indirect costs caused through   sickness absence “ is an estimated 8.2bn annually.

Sir Liam Donaldson added:

Adults who are physically active reduce their risk of developing major chronic diseases, such as heart disease and stroke and type 2 diabetes, by up to half (50%), and the risk of early death by about 20-30%. This report must be the wake-up call that changes attitudes to active lifestyles in every household."

The report analyses evidence from around the world of the impact that an inactive lifestyle has on public health.

It concludes that obesity is now  reaching epidemic proportions and show little signs of slowing.  If current obesity rates continue, a third of all adults will be obese by 2010 “ equal to US levels.