Seminar 1: Legacies of the London Olympic Games?

Professor Tony Capon (Australian National University) gave the first in a series of International Breakfast Seminars, held by C3 Collaborating for Health in London on 1 June 2010.  Professor Capon was very much involved with the Sydney Olympics in 2000, as he was medical officer of health in West Sydney at the time – a relatively deprived area of the city, where the Games were held.

• For a full report on the seminar, click here >>
• For a copy of the slides from the presentation, click here >>

He began by reflecting on Sydney’s experience of the Olympics. The Games were an exciting time for the city, and were a positive experience for the local community in many ways. It was also the first ‘green Games’, held as the world was just beginning to think seriously about sustainability. However, health professionals at that stage had not done much thinking about the built environment, and there was not enough attention given to integrating the Olympic Park into Greater Sydney. As a consequence, after the event it had to be reimagined and revitalised as a good place to live – and only now, 10 years later, are significant numbers of people working and living there. In addition, funding for other government services and infrastructure (even close by) was negatively impacted by the Games.

He then went on to speak about the importance of the urban environment for health, particularly chronic diseases. He noted the importance of a number of reports that have raised the profile of the issue in recent years, beginning with Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl (work from the United States, published in 2003), which was pivotal in highlighting the impact of urban environments on health [link]: it found that, in the spread-out areas, people weigh more and get less physical activity (even when controlling for socioeconomic status). The media is starting to take a real interest in the links between the environment and health, too – for example the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sick Cities site [link] – and in 2009 The Lancet wrote: ‘Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21^st century.’

Addressing ‘Healthy Planet, Places and People’ is about re-thinking about the way we live, in places, and how do we minimise our footprint on the planet. This is both good stewardship, and living sensibly.

Finally, Tony turned to the London Olympics. He congratulated London for having a Legacy Action Plan, and noted that there is already a better focus on future integration, sustainability and health than there was in Sydney. However, escalating costs (which are inevitable) will lead to a challenging relationship between the people of the UK and those organising the event – and legacies could be the point at which cuts hit hardest.

There was then lively discussion, including:

• Food availability at the Games – sponsors include Coke, McDonald’s and Cadbury. The model for the IOC is to draw in selected providers to help to fund the Games, which helps to stop the bill getting too big for London to cope with alone. But there may be unintended consequences if these products are too much at the fore. Many companies are beginning to intensify their focus on healthy products, but there is a long way to go, particularly in terms of supply chain (fair-trade chocolate is a good example).
• Was there a change in physical activity levels in the population at Sydney? Participation did not rise – but did not fall (so people did not feel overwhelmed). What really matters in Australia is not recreational sport, but having a generally active life.
• What could London learn about increasing physical activity? Handled well, a virtuous circle could be set up – as we get more active, we want it to be easier to cycle etc., so individuals begin to lobby for better facilities.
• The Olympics do not feel like they are ‘owned’ by anyone outside London itself. An interesting example of ownership is the regeneration of a park in Newham (East London) that has been organised with the full involvement of local older people, who now act as its custodians.
• We could learn from other cultures – for example, the joie de vivre of the Latin American culture, or the opportunities for sport in New York’s Central Park. We need more imagination!
• Is this an opportunity to promote walking – for example, Walk England’s 2012 Walk for Life routes. These will be one-mile walking routes, way-marked on the ground, and the time taken to walk them can then be recorded on the internet.
• Should we use sportspeople to promote physical activity? Any sportsperson (such as Robert Costello, Dame Kelly Holmes and Herb Elliot) who steps up and gets actively involved should have a good breadth of understanding about what is required. These champions are well respected for years – and many will give their time for free. The health sector can underestimate the importance of role models – all of whom have a great story to tell. The Respect Athletes Mentoring Programme, for example, has had a big impact on young people.