title: Do all health care professionals have a responsibility to prescribe and promote regular physical activity: or let us carry on doing nothing.
abstract: Physical inactivity's propensity to cause preventable morbidity and mortality grossly is under-recognized by both the public and by health care professionals. If health care professionals are serious about doing the best for every patient every patient visit, then we must be skilled in assessing physical activity levels as well as providing appropriate advice and must be able to guide patients through options and to activity. We have a professional duty and responsibility to know and deliver best treatments as well as keep ourselves up to date with and strive for the current best practice. Physical activity is central to health, and doing nothing is not a responsible option for our patients or health care professionals. More importantly, there is an urgent need for all health care professionals to embrace physical activity and strive for systems change, at governmental, organizational, educational, and medical leadership levels.
authors.affiliation: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 2BU, England, United Kingdom. rweiler@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joy
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000941:ethics*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000941:ethics*; D010819:Physician's Role; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013178:Sports Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom