In the corridors of Whitehall and similar government institutions world wide, new ideas are often viewed with suspicion. Consider this quote from the legendary TV series Yes, Prime Minister (Series 2, Episode 7: “The National Education Service”, BBC1, 21 Jan 1988) when Sir Humphrey Applebee responds to an idea from his Minister by suggesting the formation of a committee to consider a proposal:

Sir Humphrey: “I mean they’ll give it the most serious and earnest consideration and insist on a thorough and rigorous examination of all the proposals, allied with detailed feasibility study and budget analysis, before producing a consultative document for consideration by all interested bodies and seeking comments and recommendations to be included in a brief, for a series of working parties who will produce individual studies which will provide the background for a more wide ranging document, considering whether or not the proposal should be taken forward to the next stage.”Jim Hacker: “You mean they’ll block it?”Sir Humphrey: “Yeah.”

This sums up the feeling of many sports physicians who, armed with the knowledge that exercise is good for you, find the pathways to achieving government action blocked by interminable red tape. How then can we convince our political lords and masters to move forward on these ideas?

First, make it obvious.

The case for increasing exercise at a population level should be crystal clear even to a politician. Obesity has increased to the point where nearly two thirds of men and over …