Before he became Prime Minister, Boris Johnson used to be a regular cycle commuter. (Photo by Dan ... [+] Kitwood/Getty Images)

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to tell overweight Britons they need to increase their activity levels to better fight against infection from the novel coronavirus. Being obese or overweight puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, experts have said this week. Cycling to work is a key way of losing weight and changing sedentary lifestyles, Johnson will advise on Monday.

Family doctorsknown in the U.K. as general practitioners, or GPswill be encouraged to prescribe cycling as a way for patients to lose weight. GP surgeries could also participate in bicycling incentive programs, with the possibility that some people could be paid to pedal.

Johnson is also expected to announce other bicycling promotions in the week beginning July 27, with further encouragement for local authorities to instal protective cycleways.

Johnsons recommendation to cycle is part of a new nannying government strategy to reduce the impact of the virus on the NHSprevention being cheaper than a cureand will include bans on advertising junk food to children as well as forcing restaurants to display calorie counts on menus.

Active travel, such as walking and cycling, can play an important role in reducing obesity levels, with a recent comprehensive study showing that, compared to driving, cycling was shown to cause a weight loss of 0.75kg for the average person.

Daily bicycle travel leads to the lowest body mass index, according to the study which was conducted in seven European cities.

The analysis of data from seven European citiespart of the European Commission funded Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA) projectsuggested that daily cyclists weigh less than their non-active counterparts. The research was led by Hasselt University and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, and included researchers from Imperial College London.

Speaking during a recent visit to a GP surgery in East London, Johnson said:

Obesity is one of the real co-morbidity factors. Losing weight, frankly, is one of the ways you can reduce your own risk from coronavirus.

Perhaps more importantly, cycling is also a key way of moving moreinactivity is a killer.

The Guardians political correspondent Peter Walker describes cycling as a miracle pill (and hes got a book out in January 2021 with that title.)

Imagine if a team of scientists devised a drug which massively reduced peoples chances of developing cancer or heart disease, cutting their overall likelihood of dying early by 40%, he wrote in 2017.

That drug is already here, albeit administered in a slightly different way: its called cycling to work.

Walker added: One of the more puzzling political questions is why it is so rarely prescribed on a population-wide level. Most people recognise riding a bike makes you more healthy. But studies have shown the impact of even a relatively modest regular cycle can have near-miraculous health dividends.

In May, Johnson told the U.K. parliament that the near future should be a new golden age for cycling.

He made his comments during Prime Ministers question time and was answering a question from former transport secretary Therese Villiers who asked whether the Prime Minister would be seeking assurances from London Mayor Sadiq Khan that the London Underground tube service would soon be open to use for all who wanted to use it and not just key workers.

A cyclist makes a hand gesture to the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson as he cycles over Vauxhall ... [+] Bridge, London, to launch London's first cycle superhighway in 2015. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

A crucial part of our success now in getting transport to run safely will be running a bigger and more expansive tube service so that people can observe social distancing, replied Johnson.

Unbidden, Johnson added that there will be a huge amount of planning going to helping people to get to work other than by mass transit and this should be a new golden age for cycling.

The government later rolled out a 2-billion program to boost bicycling and walking.

Before becoming prime minister, Johnson regularly cycled in London while he was Mayor and when he was a backbench MP.

Public Health England (PHE) said on July 25 that excess weight puts people at greater risk of needing hospital admission or intensive care.

PHE chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone said that being overweight or obese puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, as well as from many other life-threatening diseases.

"Losing weight can bring huge benefits for health, she said, and may also help protect against the health risks of COVID-19.

She added: The case for action on obesity has never been stronger.

The U.K. has one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe, with two-thirds of adults reported as being obese or overweight.

Here is the original post:

Fight Coronavirus With Miracle Pill Of Bicycling To Work, Boris Johnson To Tell Brits - Forbes