UK is second in 'world keep-fit league'

Only Australia came higher in the poll, by market research firm NOP World. However, despite an apparent eagerness among Britons to exercise, it would appear that not so many were interested in health issues.

The NOP World survey questioned 31,000 adults in 31 countries in the first half of 2004. Just under seven out of 10 (67%) Australians said they exercised at least once a week. The UK was second, with 56% claiming to keep fit on a regular basis, followed by Sweden (52%).

Also, just over half (51%) of those questioned in the United States claimed to exercise at least once a week. The countries which exercised the least were Taiwan (20%), Germany (21%), Hungary (22%) and Poland (22%).

However, the apparent enthusiasm among Britons for exercise conflicted with the second part of the research by NOP World. Just 25% of respondents in the UK said they were interested in health, medical science or fitness issues. Australia was also way down the list with 35%.

The Japanese were the most interested in health-related issues (45%), even though only 30% claimed to exercise at least once a week.

Nick Chiarelli, from NOP World, commented: "Health and fitness has become increasingly important for Britons in recent years, as illustrated by the booms in gyms and leisure centres all over the country.

"As a nation we're working harder and longer hours and exercise has become a very popular way to beat stress and boost energy levels."

Sport for all?

Meanwhile, a separate study from the United States has revealed that a keep-fit lifestyle may not work for everyone. For a minority, even quite strenuous exercise may have no effect on fitness, according to researchers.

Worse still, training may not improve insulin sensitivity, a marker of risk for diabetes and heart disease, and in a few cases could actually make it worse, the study published in New Scientist magazine found.

Claude Bouchard, of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, USA, said: "There is astounding variation in the response to exercise. The vast majority will benefit in some way, but there will be a minority who will not benefit at all."

In the study, 742 people from 213 families were put through a strict 20-week endurance-training programme. The volunteers had not taken regular physical activity for the previous six months.

Exercise on stationary bikes was gradually increased so that by the last six weeks the volunteers were exercising for 50 minutes three times a week at 75% of the maximum output they were capable of before the study.

The team found that training improved maximum oxygen consumption, a measure of a person's ability to perform work, by 17% on average. But the "most trainable" volunteers gained over 40% and the "least trainable" showed no improvement at all.

Similar patterns were seen with cardiac output, blood pressure, heart rate and other markers of fitness. Results on insulin sensitivity showed the programme resulted in improvement for 58% but 42% showed no improvement and in a few cases, sensitivity may have got worse.