I NOTE with interest your report ("GPs should tell couch potatoes to exercise more, say medical colleges", The Herald, January 20), highlighting the dangers of physical inactivity on health and containing a call for doctors to discuss levels of activity with patients.

Whilst we agree that increasing physical activity levels is essential to improving health, there is a limit to what health professionals can do to change people's behaviour. While doctors deal with the medical consequences of inactivity, the solution lies in social change to achieve a real improvement in the future physical and mental well-being of our nation.

One of the most effective ways of achieving this is to ensure that children are encouraged to take more exercise and eat healthily as part of their early education, for example, getting them into the habit of walking to school and providing adequate time for PE lessons. The Government could also look at developing an effective strategy to encourage teenagers and young adults to take part in regular exercise.

Inequalities have a profound influence on health in Scotland Deprivation limits access to safe play areas and low income makes many physical activities unaffordable. Assertive action is required to improve communities and make them clean, safe and healthy for our children to develop and lead healthy active lives.

Dr Peter Bennie,

Chairman, BMA Scotland,

14 Queen Street, Edinburgh.