LEADING UK physical activity expert, Professor Nanette Mutrie MBE, will be in Melbourne on Wednesday to provide an international insight into tackling sedentary behaviour and promoting physical activity, the National Heart Foundation said today.
Professor Mutrie is Chair of Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh and also directs the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre in the Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences.
National Manager, Healthy Hearts, at the Heart Foundation, Melanie Chisholm, said Professor Mutrie brings a wealth of policy experience and knowledge and was ideally placed to talk about successful international interventions on sedentary behaviour and active living.
“The Heart Foundation is thrilled to host Professor Mutrie as part of its ‘Activating workplaces and your Community’ forum in Melbourne today,’ Ms Chisolm said.
“A leading UK physical activity expert, Professor Mutrie has extensive experience in conducting local and large-scale interventions aimed at increasing physical activity levels.
“She has co-authored more than 200 peer reviewed publications on this subject, actively contributed to the ‘Let’s make Scotland more active’ initiative and is currently a member of the National Strategic Oversight Group for Physical Activity in Scotland.
“In January 2015, Professor Mutrie was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to physical activity for health in Scotland.”
Ms Chisholm said Professor Mutrie would also be guest international speaker at the Heart Foundation’s National Physical Activity Consensus Forum at Parliament House, Canberra on Friday.
“Her insights into international efforts to address physical inactivity, including in the UK, will be of particular value in highlighting the case for a comprehensive, funded National Physical Activity Action Plan,” she said.
“Just as other countries have put in place initiatives and strategies to encourage their citizens to move more and sit less, so too should Australia.
“We like to think of Australia as a fit and active nation but the data doesn’t support this, and the successful types of interventions that Professor Mutrie and her colleagues in Scotland have implemented, could serve as a model for Australia in future.
“Inactivity is a huge health problem in Australia and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Professor Mutrie and other researchers, in advocating for changes that will lead to a better state of health for all Australians.”
The National Physical Activity Consensus Forum will see representatives from government as well as education, sport, transport, business and the health sector joining renowned local and international physical activity experts and policy advocates, in identifying the priorities for a National Physical Activity Action Plan.
Ryan Fritz
Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.
