Existing literature examining relationships between levels of physical activity and health costs varies
considerably in methodology and scope. The majority of existing studies pursue a dichotomized
approach, separating respondents into two classes: those that satisfy the accepted “dose” of 30 minutes per day for five days and those who do not. In this first group of studies, there are at least five statewide
reports whose methodology and assumptions are relatively general in nature. In most cases, estimates are
derived from an aggregation of medical expenditures that can in some form be traced back to physical
inactivity. For example, a study commissioned by the Michigan Fitness Foundation (Chenoweth, DeJong
et al. 2003) concentrated on the economic costs to the residents of Michigan. The authors used estimates
(acknowledged to be conservative) to derive direct costs (e.g., medical care, workers’ compensation, lost
productivity) and indirect costs (e.g., inefficiencies associated with replacement workers). The final
amount totaled $8.9 billion in 2003 ($1,175 per resident). A 2002 report from the Minnesota Department
of Health (Garrett, Brasure et al. 2001) estimates that in 2000, $495 million was spent treating diseases
and conditions that would be avoided if all Minnesotans were physically active. This amount converts to
over $100 per resident. Additional reports claim that too little physical inactivity was responsible for an
estimated $84.5 million ($19 per capita) in hospital charges in Washington State (Claybrooke 2001), $104
million ($78 per capita) in South Carolina (Powell, Greaney et al. 1999), and $477 million in hospital
charges in Georgia ($79 per capita) (Bricker, Powell et al. 2001).