Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Jonathan Dering, spokesman for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, says that the technology revolution has led to reduced physical activity and obesity, which is the fourth biggest cause of death worldwide. “If someone is on the floor above you at work, rather than going to see them you would send an email.
And you would phone up a friend rather then travelling to meet then,” he says.
“Inactivity leads to obesity, and it means risk of cardiovascular disease is greatly increased. Pretty much every pathology – such as breast cancer, prostate cancer or bowel cancer – you are both more likely to get it and less likely to recover from it if you are inactive.”