ANSES has just published a new report concerning the problems of inactivity and sedentariness of the French. And the conclusions are clear, a large majority of the population takes significant risks for their health.
95% of French adults affected by inactivity and sedentary lifestyle
According to the last ANSES report : “95% of the adult French population is exposed to a risk of health deterioration due to a lack of physical activity or excessive time spent sitting. »
It should also be noted that people who sit for more than 8 hours a day, as employees working in offices often do, are particularly affected by the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. The women are also a population at risk for lack of physical activity. They are 70% below activity levels to stay healthy. Men, meanwhile, are 42% in this case. Finally, the report states that: “Adults with low levels of education and people under 45 are the most affected. »
In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that combining a sedentary lifestyle and inactivity further aggravates the consequences for health. Thus, Professor Irène Margaritis, Head of the Nutrition Risk Assessment Unit at ANSES, explains that these individuals: “ […]are more exposed to cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. They are also at greater risk of hypertension or obesity. In general, the risks associated with inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are increased when they are combined. »
Lack of physical activity: personal and collective brakes
Loss of motivation, overloaded schedules, lack of knowledge… can be obstacles that prevent the French from devoting more time to physical activities, but they are not the only ones. Indeed, ANSES has also identified barriers such as town planning, regional development, transport, organization of time and work or school spaces.
Professor Irène Margaritis emphasizes on this subject: “It is the very organization of our lifestyles that needs to be reviewed: whether in the public space, by leaving more room for active mobility such as cycling or walking. , or in the workplace, by promoting the practice of sport and limiting sedentary time, or even in the school system by increasing the space and time dedicated to physical and sporting activities”.
ANSES’s recommendations on physical activity
ANSES also offers some recommendations on this subject in its report. They must make it possible to have a level of physical expenditure sufficient to avoid the risks associated with inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle. It is a question of practicing a cardiorespiratory activity, 30 minutes, 5 times a week, of carrying out muscle building 1 to 2 times a week or even of performing stretching exercises 2 to 3 times a week.
