Exercise and weight loss play an exceptionally important role in our overall health. Keeping within a healthy bodyweight and remaining active helps to prevent a spectrum of different illnesses. Central among these is heart disease. The risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke can all be reduced through fitness and weight control.

However, all too many of us are not taking the importance of exercise and weight loss seriously. This includes those of us who already have heart disease or who are at a serious risk of it. A new study published in PLOS One, which was conducted by researchers at the Medial School at the University of Adelaide revealed this dangerous trend. It followed 3,000 people and their exercise habits. The participants were from Southern Brazil and Southern Australia.

Exercise and Weight Loss isn’t Taken Seriously

The research looked at people who already have cardiovascular disease. These patients were each prescribed an exercise plan that was created for them by their doctors. Prior research had attempted to look at the benefits of following those plans. However, this new research took the angle a step further.

It examined the actual exercise habits of the patients. The research provided evidence that over 70 percent of the people who have a heart condition as a result of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, or those who are at risk of contracting a heart condition for those reasons do not follow their exercise program. Despite their risk and having had fitness programs recommended to them, they are not doing them.

Sedentary Patients

Even with their risk or current conditions, these patients are not taking exercise and weight loss seriously. They are not acting on their doctors’ recommendations 70 percent of the time.

This is highly dangerous as exercise and weight loss are two of the most important steps to take to avoid suffering further cardiac complications, which could even include death. According to Dr. Gonzalez-Chica, a lead author of the study, “The scale of this critical public health issue is therefore being under-reported.”

After all, if studies are looking at the effectiveness of exercise and weight loss for these patients but are looking only at the patients who are taking action, a central step is being missed. The next step will be to teach patients of the importance of these steps to ensure they follow through.