Nearly 1.8 billion adults are at risk of getting sick due to lack of physical activity

Nearly 1.8 billion adults are at risk of getting sick due to lack of physical activity

A WHO study published in The Lancet Global Health journal found that physical inactivity among adults decreased by five percentage points

Health.- According to a recent analysis, some 1.8 billion adults (31%, almost a third) did not practice the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults spend 150 minutes of their time each week doing moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes doing vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent activity. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, as well as type 2 diabetes, dementia and certain types of cancer, such as breast and colon cancer.

A study, which is the result of collaboration between WHO researchers and university professors, has been published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, and found thatPhysical inactivity among adults followed a worrying trend between 2010 and 2022, decreasing by five percentage points.

If this trend continues, a further 35% increase in physical inactivity is expected by 2030.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “These data show that we have missed an opportunity to reduce the incidence of cancer and heart disease and to improve people’s well-being and mental health through physical activity. We must redouble our efforts to increase physical activity levels and take strong action to reverse this worrying trend, including through new policies and increased financing.”

The highest rates of sedentary behavior were observed in high-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region.with 48%, and South Asia, with 45%, while in other regions this proportion ranged from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.

It should be noted that differences continue to be found based on sex and age. Women continue to practice less physical activity than menand the inactivity rates are 34% and 29% for each sex, respectively. However, in some countries this difference reaches 20%. On the other hand, it has been found that people over 60 years of age are not as active as other adults, which highlights the importance of promoting physical activity among this age group.

Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, said: “Lack of physical activity is a silent threat to global health and contributes greatly to the increase in chronic diseases.“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, taking into account factors such as their age, environment and culture. We need to make physical activity more accessible, affordable and enjoyable for everyone, because in doing so we will significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and improve the health and productivity of everyone.”

Despite these results, there are signs of improvement in some countries. Almost half of the world’s countries have made progress in some respect over the past decade, and 22 countries are likely to meet the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030 if they maintain the same rhythm.

In view of these data, the WHO calls on countries to ensure that their policies to promote and encourage physical activity are implemented through popular and collective sport, active leisure and transport (on foot, by bicycle and by public transport), among other measures.

Dr Fiona Bull, Head of WHO’s Physical Activity Unit, explains: “Promoting physical activity is not just regarding encouraging people to engage in certain behaviours. We need a whole-of-society approach, creating environments that make it easier and safer to be active so that everyone can enjoy the many health benefits of regular activity.”

Reaching out to less active people and thereby reducing inequalities in access to measures to promote and improve physical activity will require collective work, forging alliances between the public sector and other stakeholders and investing more in innovative approaches.