SGMA President Tom Cove Speaks Out on Access to Sport, Global Health
SportsOneSource
Media Posted:
9/22/2011 On Wednesday at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva,
Switzerland, SGMA President Tom Cove participated in a panel discussion on
Access to Sport Is an Important Component of Global Health Promotion. Cove
discussed the role the sporting goods industry can play to promote global
health by providing the means and motivation for physically active
lifestyles.
Listed below are his prepared remarks from earlier
today.
"Improving global health is a huge challenge facing the
world community. Earlier this week, the United Nations met to chart
a course to reverse the alarming trend in non-communicable diseases (NCD)
like heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory
disease. Non-communicable diseases are now the number one killer,
accounting for over 63 percent of deaths worldwide. This marked only
the second time in the history of the United Nations that the UN General
Assembly met with heads of state and government to discuss an emerging
health issue with a major socio-economic impact.
NCDs do not
discriminate. This health crisis affects young and old, rich and poor,
women and men from developed and developing economies.
Much
of the rise in chronic disease and NCDs is linked to increases in obesity
and sedentary lifestyles. The incidence of NCDs is higher among the
sedentary population, and significantly higher among the
obese. Physical inactivity alone is estimated by the World
Health Organization (WHO) to be the fourth leading cause of death
globally. In the United States, the obesity rate has risen over 400
percent in the past 50 years and it continues to climb. Similar
trends are evident in many other countries. In 2008, 1.5 billion
adults age 20 and older were overweight. Our young people are also
at risk. In 2010, 43 million children under the age of five were
overweight. Every one of these is at high risk of suffering chronic
disease in his or her lifetime. Compounding the problem is the fact
that NCDs are commonly of long duration and slow in their progression,
which drains the limited resources of national economies and drives down
quality of life. It's been estimated that people
being overweight and obese costs the U.S. economy $270 billion every
year. In many countries today, government spending on health care is
on an unsustainable trajectory. Health care costs are skyrocketing
while revenues are stretched to the limit. Looking forward, health
and wellness promotion must be emphasized to minimize the need for
expensive treatment of illness.
There is hope because NCDs
are preventable. We know there are specific ways, some very
cost-effective and accessible, to reduce the incidence of chronic
disease. Just as many nations have reduced the incidence of
challenging illnesses like malaria and tuberculosis, a focused and
dedicated campaign to reduce chronic disease can be successful and reap
huge dividends. In particular, we know real, sustainable progress is
achievable by getting people to be more physically active. The World
Health Organization has identified increased physical activity along with
improved diet, reduced tobacco use, and lower alcohol abuse as the keys to
reversing the increased incidence of NCDs. The WHO's report could
not be more clear:
"Prevention of these diseases through
physical activity and healthy lifestyles, based on strong medical
evidence, is the most cost-effective and sustainable way to tackle these
problems and to support positive social development." (World Health
Organization 2003)
Further to the reference of
positive social development, the benefits of activity go well beyond
minimizing illness. We know fit children make better learners.
There is a growing body of research showing the positive correlation of
physical fitness and academic performance. The old adage of a
'Sound Body, Sound Mind' remains a foundation for educating young
people. And physical activity benefits every child. It's
not about being a superstar athlete, but rather having the opportunity to
experience the joy and values of sport for a lifetime.
This is
where the nexus occurs between global health and our discussion today
about appropriate trade policy. Fundamentally, a fair, productive
and sustainable trade regime supports the goal of global development for
all citizens. A healthy population is imperative. Poor health has a
far-reaching residual impact on the global economy. Worker
productivity, educational achievement and socio-economic advancement are
all negatively impacted when individuals suffer from obesity and sedentary
lifestyle-related diseases. The combined impact of NCDs impedes
developing and undeveloped economies from improving and providing a better
life for their citizens. Worker productivity and
education are the cornerstones of sustained economic development.
Trade policy that encourages sports and fitness is a vehicle to improve
both.
We need trade policy that supports global health
promotion strategies. Specifically, we believe policies that
open markets and facilitate the worldwide movement of sporting goods can
make a difference by encouraging physical activity.
Very often, improving health means changing behavior. The
sporting goods industry has much to contribute in this global
challenge. Sports product innovations and marketing campaigns can
inspire and motivate target audiences to adopt physically active, healthy
lifestyles. Think of in-line skates or snow boards, new inventions
that generated new sport and recreation opportunities for millions of
people. Heart rate monitors allow individuals to monitor their
workouts, providing real time feedback on what they need to do to optimize
their effort. The products don't have to be sophisticated or
expensive. We've seen time and time again how bringing basic
products like sport shoes and balls can invigorate and energize young
people in a vulnerable community, whether located in an impoverished urban
center or parched desert. The key is to make products and activities
accessible. The personal fulfillment and enjoyment - fun! - that
comes from sports participation can be a powerful influence to get people
on the road to improved health. Providing access to sports and
recreation is good policy at several levels. The global community
needs to do more to ensure people have access to products that will
encourage and increase physical activity worldwide. By providing the
means for more physically active lives, we can reduce the ravaging effects
of chronic disease around the world.
Many sports and fitness
activities require very basic tools. Equipment at facilities can be
used over and over to benefit an ever-increasing number of people.
Modern technology can be utilized to enhance the participation experience
even further and attract additional people that would otherwise remain
sedentary. Modern sports equipment can be adapted to address the
needs and interests of disabled people, many of whom are most at-risk for
further chronic disease complications. As just one example, athletic
footwear is now being developed to specifically meet the needs of those
suffering from diabetes, with focus on helping improving circulation and
reducing foot pain. Trade barriers that make these products more
expensive make no sense.
Despite the societal benefits of physical
activity, countries continue to institute barriers in the form of import
tariffs and anti-dumping duties that limit access to sports and fitness
products and suppress participation in physical activities that improve
health.
Just last year the WHO concluded, - "An integrated approach
to the causes of decreasing levels of physical activity will contribute to
reducing the future burden of NCDs."
We would like to see
exactly such an integrated approach, by linking progressive trade policy
to ongoing efforts to improve global health. Ending restrictive
trade regimes will facilitate the movement of sporting goods to a greater
number of citizens and promote an active lifestyle and infrastructure in
every country. We should not allow any tariff structure that
effectively serves as a barrier and denies access to products that promote
health.
There is little controversy within the global
sporting goods industry regarding the universal elimination of
tariffs on sports equipment products. The World Federation of the
Sporting Goods Industry is on record strongly supporting the - Zero for
Zero - proposal for sports equipment and a broadening of the scope to also
include sporting footwear and apparel. We look forward to the day
when it can be enacted and implemented.
There is
much innovation across the globe to promote health. Many nations,
educational institutions, communities and employers have adopted creative
policies and programs to promote health. The health policies target
families, schools, the workplace and leisure time for increased physical
activity. In some cases they help create and maintain the
infrastructure needed for active lifestyles, others reward healthy
behavior with financial incentives and some penalize unhealthy physical
condition. These are exciting and encouraging
developments.
The sgoods industry enthusiastically embraces the
role it can play to promote global health by providing the means and
motivation for physically active lifestyles. In marketplaces
throughout the world, we communicate the values and benefits of sports and
fitness. We welcome the obligation to work with governments and
NGO's to encourage citizens to engage in healthy physical activity.
And to this end, we endorse the goal of integrated global development, and
believe trade policies that increase access to sports and fitness products
will have a positive, universal impact on their own, and contribute to
greater effectiveness of other efforts to improve
health. Increased access to products opens
the door to activity; activity leads to improved health; improved health
leads to higher worker productivity and improved educational performance;
better productivity and education leads to a stronger economy. A
stronger economy allows countries to advance and better provide for their
people.
WTO member nations can play a critical role in improving
the worldwide economic and social environment going forward by adopting
trade policies that will improve global health. Trade barriers
on sports and fitness equipment hinder progress toward a healthier
population and need to be removed."
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