0:00:02 > 0:00:05It's been like a beautiful dream.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08A world number one, a golden summer at Rio.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12It is a golden start for Great Britain.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14And all off the back of the Glasgow games -
0:00:14 > 0:00:17sunshine, medals, success.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22I'm John Beattie, and I've been as swept away
0:00:22 > 0:00:26by our athletes' success as anyone.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29But there's always been something bothering me.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We were told that all these medals would make us more sporty,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34more healthy, and more active.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39The Commonwealth Games would inspire Scots young and old to participate
0:00:39 > 0:00:43in sport, improve their health and life chances.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48The potential of the games is enormous.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The potential to get more people taking part in physical activity...
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Gold to Heather Miley.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58She had a whole bunch of people in this stadium behind her.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- DAVID CAMERON:- If other people's children are anything like mine,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04they are dreaming of being Bradley Wiggins or Jess Ennis
0:01:04 > 0:01:06or Dave Weir or Jonnie Peacock.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09They're begging their parents to set up mini Olympics.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15But has our elite success translated into a healthier population?
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I've been meeting elite athletes, experts and ordinary folk.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23And it's time to hear the truth
0:01:23 > 0:01:27about exactly what our golden summers have really achieved.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33So has there ever been a games where there's been a health benefit
0:01:33 > 0:01:34afterwards, anywhere in the world?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- No.- No? Not at all?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38No.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40So, watching Andy Murray, you haven't thought,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42"Right, I must go and play tennis."
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Well, I've tried it, but it doesn't work much.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Why doesn't it work?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Because I'm not good at hitting the ball.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Someone who is fairly inactive, watching sport,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53it's not going to be a lightbulb moment
0:01:53 > 0:01:55where they automatically think,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58"Right, I'm going to change my life, I'm going to become an athlete,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00"I'm inspired by this performance."
0:02:11 > 0:02:13I want to investigate whether there's a link
0:02:13 > 0:02:17between elite performance and our wider health.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21So join me in the sandpit while I run a few numbers.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Well, we all remember what it was like.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27We saw in the Commonwealth Games and in the Olympics
0:02:27 > 0:02:29a massive increase in
0:02:29 > 0:02:30the number of medals.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Now I'm drawing out the numbers for how many Scots meet
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the minimum recommended levels of activity.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41That's a measure that includes walking, cycling and housework,
0:02:41 > 0:02:42not just sport.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47These numbers hardly vary.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48In 2012 they changed
0:02:48 > 0:02:50the target for adults.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52But what we're looking at
0:02:52 > 0:02:54are flat lines.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00So can sport really be inspiring us all?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09This is a big day for Scottish sport -
0:03:09 > 0:03:10the launch of Oriam.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12It's our new performance centre,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and it cost £33 million of public money.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21And where sporting success is to be celebrated,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24politicians are never far behind.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30After all, everyone wants a little of the gold dust
0:03:30 > 0:03:32from our elite success.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35It's an incredible facility.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And look who's here - the First Minister,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40MSPs, heads of the council,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42people in charge of governing bodies.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46And what you can say is, everybody wants a little piece of elite sport.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So is the idea that elite sport inspires us all
0:03:52 > 0:03:55one that's promoted by our current First Minister?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00THEY CHEER
0:04:00 > 0:04:02I think we've got to work to make sure that link is there,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05but I don't think there's any doubt that the inspiration
0:04:05 > 0:04:08that our top sportsmen and women provide for us,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11the excitement and pride that they instil in us,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14helps to encourage people to become more active.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17But fundamentally the numbers of medals have gone up
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and sporting activity has completely flatlined,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21so there is no link, is there?
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Well, I tend to be a kind of glass half full person.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I think it's great that our medal tally is going up.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I think that's something we should be proud of.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I think it's something that we should celebrate,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34that we've got probably the best facilities for sport in Scotland
0:04:34 > 0:04:36now than we've ever had.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And instead of saying,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41"Well, participation has not gone up yet, so it's not worth doing,"
0:04:41 > 0:04:43we should say, "Well, we've got all these facilities,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46"we've got that success, let's redouble our efforts to make sure
0:04:46 > 0:04:52"the benefits of that permeate through society as a whole."
0:04:52 > 0:04:54So the higher up you go, the more that treadmill,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- the quicker it'll move.- Right.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And then eventually when you get comfortable you can sort of let go.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04I think I might not let go, with the cameras on me!
0:05:04 > 0:05:07So the First Minister is hanging onto the idea
0:05:07 > 0:05:10that medals inspire us all to do more.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12And I can see why.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It's a very powerful idea.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Everyone in there is caught up with the view that elite sport,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20which is exciting, enthralling and enticing,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24is also the thing that makes you and me want to be sporty,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26active, and healthy.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I'd like that to be true.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32But not everything you wish for is true.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42'In the spirit of being more active,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'I'm taking a walk in the glorious Scottish countryside.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'I'm also hoping to find out whether that link
0:05:49 > 0:05:51'between elite sport and our health is real.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55'So I've brought Professor Leigh Robinson with me.'
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Is there any evidence that if we win medals, say, at a games abroad,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02or host an event, that that makes the rest of us healthy?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04No, no evidence at all.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07But it's such a persuasive argument.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It is because we like the idea that if we win a medal,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13other people will rush out and take part in physical activity,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15but that just doesn't happen.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So has there ever been a games where there's been a health benefit
0:06:18 > 0:06:20afterwards, anywhere in the world?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- No.- No? Not at all?
0:06:22 > 0:06:23No.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Professor Robinson says you can prove
0:06:28 > 0:06:31big events bring infrastructure benefits,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35even that medals make us feel better,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38but not that they make us healthier.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Politicians and people who are trying to promote elite sport
0:06:40 > 0:06:42need to stop with that argument.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Whether we, the public,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47are overly concerned about that argument,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49whether we like the fact that we win medals, that we are world champions,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52that we go away to events and are very successful,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54that may just be enough for us.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- COMMENTATOR:- The whole crowd on their feet,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58the roof pretty much lifting off.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Can Robbie Renwick get a medal here?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Australia win the gold medal in the men's four by 200 freestyle relay,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Scotland a wonderful silver medal...
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Some of our best recent successes have come in the pool.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Swimmers like Robbie Renwick and Michael Jamieson have won medals
0:07:13 > 0:07:16at Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22'They joined me for a dip at
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth pool.'
0:07:25 > 0:07:26This is a different planet.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28It's like watching two dolphins
0:07:28 > 0:07:30who've spent all their lives
0:07:30 > 0:07:33perfecting what you see - this incredible smoothness.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37It's amazing seeing it up close, it's amazing.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42'This technique is the result of 20 years of work.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46'But what got the lads into the pool wasn't watching
0:07:46 > 0:07:49'elite swimmers perform.'
0:07:49 > 0:07:52For me, getting into the sport was part of the fun of learning to swim
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and having all your friends around you.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58You know, when I grew up, as a kid, learning to play football,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00playing basketball, cross-country running, swimming,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03it was just about being active.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Like, general activity was the real passion for me at a young age,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and trying to learn all these new skills.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12'So even for elite performers, the starting point
0:08:12 > 0:08:16'was swimming for fun, not glory.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:19When you're in the pool, competing, in your head,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23do you believe that there are lots of inactive children thinking,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25"Right, I want to swim"?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Do you inspire them?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Someone who's fairly inactive, who lives a fairly sedentary lifestyle
0:08:30 > 0:08:32is at home watching sport,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I don't think that's really going to,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38it's not going to be a lightbulb moment, where they automatically
0:08:38 > 0:08:40think, "Right, I'm going to change my life,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43"I'm going to become an athlete, I'm inspired by this performance."
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I do feel like there are a lot of kids that would
0:08:47 > 0:08:49certainly probably not take up sport
0:08:49 > 0:08:52when they probably could, they would rather stay inside,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56play video games, that's the way it seems to be heading right now.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Physical activity really matters to all of us.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09A stunning two thirds of Scottish adults are overweight.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Being more active could make a big difference,
0:09:13 > 0:09:14but what does that mean?
0:09:16 > 0:09:21Physical activity is really emerging as a major focus in public health.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27Diabetes, stroke, mental health disorders, cancer,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29all of these, if you are physically active,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34all the incidences of these diseases may be decreased in the long-term.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The government target is for all of us to achieve
0:09:40 > 0:09:43150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47That means anything that gets your heart rate up -
0:09:47 > 0:09:48walking, or even gardening.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So we're asking Edinburgh commuters to tell us whether they measure up.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I'm hoping to do a half-marathon this morning.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58- I normally do...- This morning?- Yes.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00I normally do two a week.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- So you cycle every day?- Yeah, yeah.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- How far do you cycle?- About half an hour, something like that.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Half an hour each way?- Yeah. - So that'd be what?- 420.- 420...
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- We're off the scale. - ..in terms of activity.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Well done. Fantastic.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Walk the dog five and a half miles,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and I swim 60 lengths every morning in the pool.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19- Wow.- And I'm fat.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- You're not fat.- No, no, I'm getting there. I'm working on it.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I decided I was getting too heavy,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26so I decided exercise was key.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30It's been shown that people who do regular physical activity may live,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32on average, seven years longer
0:10:32 > 0:10:35than people that don't regularly exercise.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38So, genuinely, he's just lengthened his life by seven years by...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- Yeah.- ..becoming active.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43You're one of the healthiest people we've spoken to all day.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44That's a worry, yeah.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- JOHN LAUGHS Well done.- All right, thank you. - Thank you.- Cheers, guys.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49We spoke to a fair few commuters,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but the ones that agreed to stop and chat
0:10:52 > 0:10:55were largely those who were already doing what they needed to.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59But we know a significant minority of Scots aren't.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Where are we, then?
0:11:00 > 0:11:06Because we have this plateau in activity levels
0:11:06 > 0:11:10and we seem to be talking to people who already know the message.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12What's happening?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Well, I think the venue we're at today,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16people are on their way to work and they're all motivated
0:11:16 > 0:11:18and they're walking and cycling.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And some of those people do know the guidelines, but we need to
0:11:21 > 0:11:24get out to people that don't know the guidelines
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and who are much less physically active.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32A freezing evening in Kilmarnock.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I've come to meet a family who know they're not active enough.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The Bias family are heading out to take part in a class
0:11:41 > 0:11:45designed for those whose health is at risk from their inactivity.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Rachel and Chloe are twins.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And they're both here because their school and their mum are worried
0:11:55 > 0:12:00that they were seeing health problems because of their weight.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Can I ask you, were you ever worried about their weight?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04A little bit. Yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The doctors and everything, they're always saying about their size
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and obesity and all that. I never put that down to them,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14but we were trying to bring the weight down a wee bit.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I sat down with the family over a healthy tea.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And I wanted to know what it was that was stopping them being
0:12:23 > 0:12:24as healthy as they wanted to be.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Phones and tablets, computers.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29Electronics.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33The weather, cos sometimes even getting them outside...
0:12:33 > 0:12:34They've got a trampoline out there
0:12:34 > 0:12:37but getting them out on it sometimes is difficult in itself.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39And sometimes money, for the sake of their classes.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42A lot of them are quite expensive in the area,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45but we're getting a few en-route now that it's not too bad.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Because it's difficult to be active, isn't it?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- It's difficult to be sporty.- Yep. - You've got to go and do stuff.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51You've got to get up. It's tough, isn't it?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Especially when it's wet.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Ah. Well, yeah, exactly.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58'And medals are unlikely to inspire these girls,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01'because they don't watch much sport.'
0:13:01 > 0:13:03You don't watch any sport on television unless it's football
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- with your dad?- Yeah.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- And that's it?- Yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08- So you don't watch...?- Unless...
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Unless Andy Murray's on.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12And do you play tennis?
0:13:12 > 0:13:13- No.- No.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16So watching Andy Murray, you haven't thought,
0:13:16 > 0:13:17"Right, I must go and play tennis?"
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Well, I've tried it but it doesn't work much.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Why does it not work?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Because I'm not good at hitting the ball.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Well, neither am I. But you wouldn't try to be like Andy Murray, then?
0:13:27 > 0:13:28You tried it once.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30But you've tried it and it's difficult?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Very.- Very difficult.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Wow.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36For the girls,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40life just seems to get in the way, and sport seems hard.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43But Dawn isn't giving up.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46As well as the special classes to help the family get healthier,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49they attend the local Active Schools programme.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52That's another exercise class out-of-school hours.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I was thinking that, you know,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00what you really want for young girls is to be out and about, skipping...
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- Ideally.- ..with their pals.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03- Yes.- But you're driving them everywhere.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Everything's a programme.- Yeah. - You're in the car every night.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Yep.- When you were a girl...
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I'd just nip out the front door and go and run.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- And play.- Yep.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Yeah. Aye, it's not as easy any more.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Why not?- I have no idea.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So everything now is you jump in the car,
0:14:19 > 0:14:20take them to...
0:14:20 > 0:14:23It's down to Mum and Dad's taxi, as they call it, usually,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to get them to where they've to go.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- To do a programme.- Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30To follow someone else's structure.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32They don't get out and just play.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33It's a shame.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Go on!
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Good. Well done.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40I feel quite sad about this.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I mean, Chloe and Rachel, fantastic kids,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Dawn's a wonderful mum,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48but all the things that were available for me as a kid,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52just playing in the street, they don't seem to be available.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57Everything now is, jump in a car, go to a programme 15-20 minutes away.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It's just a completely different world.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Three, two, one, go!
0:15:05 > 0:15:07These Active Schools sessions -
0:15:07 > 0:15:11sport and activity outside of normal PE lessons -
0:15:11 > 0:15:13are the core of the Scottish Government's approach
0:15:13 > 0:15:15to getting children active.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Well done. Keep going.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Last year almost 300,000 children took part in one.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25If I'm to understand what does and doesn't work,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I need to know more about them.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Yeah, well done!
0:15:29 > 0:15:31This team just finished. Well done.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40This is an Active Schools dance class in Kingussie.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Every school in Scotland has a programme like this,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46promoting exercise outside of normal PE.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It's obvious that these kids are having a ball.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Primary children are involved, too.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But I can't help noticing that the children I'm seeing
0:16:03 > 0:16:05seem a pretty sporty bunch.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09We know more children than ever are doing these classes,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12but we don't know whether any of them were previously kids
0:16:12 > 0:16:16who didn't meet the government's healthy activity guidelines.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They're giving more kids more chances,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21to take part in these Active Schools programmes,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23their numbers are going up.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28But nobody can show me the number that tells me that these kinds of
0:16:28 > 0:16:32interventions take kids from being inactive to active.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Well over £200 million is being spent
0:16:38 > 0:16:41on Active Schools over 15 years.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45But there's potentially a basic problem -
0:16:45 > 0:16:48that sports classes might just benefit sporty kids.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Sportscotland runs the Active Schools programme.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57They're understandably proud more children than ever before are taking part in it.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Why don't they know if we're reaching the kids in danger,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04the ones who aren't meeting the healthy activity guidelines?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08They don't walk up and tell us that they're inactive.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11What we see are people who are willing and want to engage.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So we will help them to engage in the sport,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17in their own community, and I think that's important.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18I'm confused a wee bit.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Why are we not measuring, as the national sports agency,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24the efficacy of our programmes
0:17:24 > 0:17:27that are supposed to be bringing people from inactive to active?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Why don't we measure that?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31That's one of the measures.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But for me, all we can really do at that local level
0:17:34 > 0:17:36is work with the people that are there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38So we have a baseline for every school,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41for every community sport hub,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and then we look at the progress from there on in.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46So the measures are very clear from our perspective.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- They're not clear.- They are clear.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The measure might be clear as to who's doing the programmes,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54but not as to whether they've been effective in changing people's behaviours. Not clear.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56- To me it's not clear. Is it clear to you?- It's clear to me.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02When you look into it,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06some of the numbers around elite sport spending are enormous.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11In the last four years UK Sport has spent £350 million
0:18:11 > 0:18:15on Olympic sports alone.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Sportscotland is in the middle of a spending cycle which will see it
0:18:19 > 0:18:24spend £45 million on performance sport over four years.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And we wanted to know who benefits from this elite funding.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35There's long been a suspicion that those on these programmes
0:18:35 > 0:18:39are disproportionately from better off backgrounds.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42But we asked Sportscotland for a demographic breakdown
0:18:42 > 0:18:45of their elite performance athletes,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and they said they didn't have one.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52So we decided to try and find out a bit more for ourselves.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55That meant doing some maths.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58We used publicly available information to work out
0:18:58 > 0:19:00where they went to school.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04We found data for over 70% of the over 500 athletes.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08We decided to look at what kind of school it was.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Was it a private school?
0:19:09 > 0:19:14And if it was a state school, was it one that served better off children?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17We used free school meal entitlement to measure that.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Over 20% went to a fee-paying school
0:19:21 > 0:19:28and almost 70% went to one of the best off 20% of state schools.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33Those two groups represented almost 90% of the performance athletes.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36It looks like elite sport IS for elites
0:19:36 > 0:19:39when it comes to wealth as well as talent.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44We've picked certain sports which are cycling, which are expensive.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45- Yeah, rowing.- Rowing.- Sailing.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Sailing.- Equestrian. Rugby.- Rugby.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50They're private school sports, aren't they?
0:19:50 > 0:19:51- Yes, they are. Yeah.- What would you say, Leigh,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54to the argument that if there is public money involved it should be
0:19:54 > 0:19:58challenging the system of privilege
0:19:58 > 0:20:00rather than buttressing it?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I don't think that there's any argument about that.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05I think anything that comes from the public purse should have
0:20:05 > 0:20:09generally wide public merit good,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and I'm not convinced that elite sport does that.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13I'm not entirely sure that elite sport
0:20:13 > 0:20:17is something that's accessible to the public in general
0:20:17 > 0:20:22or indeed leads to benefits that are available to the public in general.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- Just privileged people.- Yeah.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28We're working to try and get - in every sport -
0:20:28 > 0:20:32a pathway which goes from school to community to performance,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34if they have the talent and ambition, if they want to go there.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36But do you think it's fair that we appear to be
0:20:36 > 0:20:41spending money on, for want of a better word, more privileged kids?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Well, I think actually the spend and the resource
0:20:43 > 0:20:46is actually in a pretty good place right now.
0:20:46 > 0:20:5095% of the sport budget in Scotland is spent on school and community.
0:20:50 > 0:20:525% is spent on performance.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54So I think the balance of it,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57if you take the system, then I think we have,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00as a society in Scotland, with the resources we have available,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02we're in a good place with that.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Who's going to claim the gold medal here in Rio?
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Up towards the line.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And the gold medal goes to Great Britain!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11The Olympic champions again.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15One of our great young athletes, Callum Skinner, winning gold in Rio.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19He's a professional, and competition is a serious business.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31But today we're having a bit of fun
0:21:31 > 0:21:33on some unusual bikes.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35The interesting thing is that cycling's fun...
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Yeah.- ..but you compete at it.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Yeah. That's the thing, it kind of turned from a hobby into a career,
0:21:41 > 0:21:42more or less.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43And I'm extremely fortunate for that
0:21:43 > 0:21:46because I do something I love every day. It's the best job ever.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47- Do you still enjoy jumping on a bike?- Yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I don't think you'd continue to do it unless you enjoyed it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57Callum wants kids to be able to experience the fun of cycling, too.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01But he's worried about whether that's really possible for most of them.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03I'd say, speaking from my own experience,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I was inspired by seeing Chris Hoy having successes
0:22:06 > 0:22:08at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games and things like that.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10But I think the most important thing is
0:22:10 > 0:22:12that if there is an element of inspiration
0:22:12 > 0:22:15we need to capitalise on it as much as possible.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And one of the ways we can do that is with facilities
0:22:17 > 0:22:18and more infrastructure.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I find it difficult to say to an eight-year-old child or something,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24"Go out on your road bike, because it will all be fine,"
0:22:24 > 0:22:27cos the harsh fact is that unless you're on a cycle path or a
0:22:27 > 0:22:31segregated lane, it's not safe for a child to go out there on a road bike.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34What it is safe for them to do is to go out on a closed facility,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37but obviously, not everyone lives close to a closed facility,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41whether that is a mountain bike, track or something similar.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43So, you know, that's the thing.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I'm sure there is an element of inspiration out there,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47but the thing we need to do is capitalise on it as much as possible
0:22:47 > 0:22:50with infrastructure, with facilities.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54What Callum is talking about is the key to the whole issue of activity.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59How do you make getting moving easy and safe as part of everyday life?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05That's what Professor Nanette Mutrie has spent her working life studying.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08She's advised the Scottish Government.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09I met up with her at Hampden,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13where she'd been addressing a conference on physical activity.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The issue is that for adults,
0:23:16 > 0:23:17it is quite a small percentage of
0:23:17 > 0:23:21our population that get their activity from sport.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25A much bigger percentage of our population get their activity
0:23:25 > 0:23:27from walking or exercising
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and incidental everyday activity,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31which is the message we try to promote,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34because you don't need facilities, you don't need skill,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36you can just fit it into your lifestyle, and that's
0:23:36 > 0:23:41the way I think we'll increase the population's level of activity.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So we need to go where people are, where it's easy for them to start,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and I would always say that is walking and active commuting.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Could it be this simple?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57That walking could be the solution to our problem?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I've come for a walk here in Motherwell
0:24:01 > 0:24:05with a group that's been going out once a week for ten years.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09It's made a huge difference to all their lives.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I really love walking. I enjoy it very much.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It sort of helps you to get things into perspective, doesn't it?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17You reflect as you walk, and the company's great as well.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19You were telling me you are how old?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I'll be 84 next month.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22And walking is what?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24It's part of keeping me fit.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I look after my wife, she's 88,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29so I've got to be able to look after her,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31so that's part of the reason why I do it.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Just keep going.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34You are. You're 84!
0:24:34 > 0:24:37You just did exercise and walked a bit and now you're 84
0:24:37 > 0:24:38and you look younger than me!
0:24:38 > 0:24:39No, no!
0:24:44 > 0:24:46More Scots are walking than ever before.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51This year, the Scottish Government is spending £1.4 million
0:24:51 > 0:24:53promoting groups like this.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And finally, I've found an organisation
0:24:57 > 0:25:01that asks participants whether they meet the healthy activity guidelines
0:25:01 > 0:25:03before they start the programme.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09Roughly a third reported to not meeting the physical activity guidelines.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11We then do a six-month follow-up
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and in that six-month follow-up,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17approximately three quarters, 71%,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20of those that reported to being inactive
0:25:20 > 0:25:23are now reporting to being active.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26So they've moved from a position of not meeting
0:25:26 > 0:25:29the physical activity guidelines to meeting the guidelines.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's so simple and so natural.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It's very different to the intensity of elite sport.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44It almost seems like cheating.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47The Chief Medical Officer has been a record as saying
0:25:47 > 0:25:50that walking is a wonder drug or a miracle cure.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And when you walk you don't really think you're exercising, do you?
0:25:53 > 0:25:56No, and that is the beauty of walking.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It is physical exercise,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00physical activity through the back door.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08This programme is relatively cheap and can show it works.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15It makes me wonder if we've got the balance right between investing in
0:26:15 > 0:26:18medals and less glamorous initiatives like this.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Politically, people have wanted to have medals.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27The UK wants to be high up in the league tables, we've seen that.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32If the same amount of money was spent on walking programmes,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37changing infrastructure to promote safe streets, more cycling,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41we would really make a substantial impact on increasing
0:26:41 > 0:26:42the nation's physical activity.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46We need more money for physical activity level promotion
0:26:46 > 0:26:49that would make it more in balance with the elite level promotion.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51And the graph would do that?
0:26:51 > 0:26:52I would think so.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01The person who has to strike that balance is Aileen Campbell,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03the Public Health Minister.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05So this works your upper back muscles.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Today, she's visiting an activity programme
0:27:08 > 0:27:11that's funded as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17The total funding for this programme nationally is £800,000 a year.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Can she really justify spending millions chasing medals
0:27:20 > 0:27:24rather than more on programmes like this?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I think there's a wider debate around the country as well about what want and expect.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31People like seeing and they can be inspired by our athletes
0:27:31 > 0:27:32performing really well,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34but I'm acutely aware that we have,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36despite an enormous amount of effort,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39a fifth of the population who have remained inactive.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41The active population have got more active.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44But, you're right, we need to make sure we don't lose sight of the fact
0:27:44 > 0:27:48that our inactive population hasn't increased
0:27:48 > 0:27:51in the way we would have liked and we need to make sure
0:27:51 > 0:27:54that our focus is on improving on that figure,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56making sure we do things that we know work.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I wanted to challenge my own assumptions making this programme...
0:28:05 > 0:28:08..and I wanted to do that by looking at the evidence.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13So I'm glad the government wants to look at what works.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I've been hearing that the problem of inactivity
0:28:19 > 0:28:21in this country is a huge one.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25We need things that make the population healthier and more active
0:28:25 > 0:28:27just in their day-to-day living.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30And one thing we can say for sure is,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33sport doesn't have all the answers.