The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert on Wednesday by publishing a study revealing that About a third of adults in the world do not do enough physical activity, which puts their physical and mental health at risk.
In 2022, approximately 31.3% of adults 1.8 billion people did not meet the recommendations for physical activity for health, an increase of five percentage points since 2010. This study, published in The Lancet Global Healthis the most extensive carried out to date on this topic.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health and unfortunately it is not going in the right direction”said Dr. Ruediger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO, during a press conference. He indicated that the trend is “opposite to hopes.”
For Dr. Fiona Bull, head of the WHO physical activity department, These results are “an alarm signal.” If current trends continue, inactivity levels are expected to reach 35% by 2030. This moves away from the global goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by that year.
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The OMS recommends adults at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (walking, swimming, cycling) or 75 minutes of intense activity (running, team sports), or a combination of both.
Physical inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer such as breast and colon cancer, and mental disorders, Dr. Krech recalled. In addition, lack of physical activity represents “a financial burden on health systems,” according to Dr. Leanne Riley, from the WHO’s department of noncommunicable diseases.
Sedentary lifestyle in Costa Rica has increased in recent years. This increases the risk of chronic diseases. Photo: Shutterstock (Flotsam/Shutterstock)
The increase in sedentary lifestyle worldwide presents geographical and sociodemographic disparities. More than 50% of adults in ten countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, They are too sedentary, While in 15 sub-Saharan African countries and some wealthy Western nations, less than 10% of adults are inactive.
Physical inactivity affects women more (33.8%) than men (28.7%). In almost a third of countries, the gap between women and men exceeds 10 percentage points, reaching up to 20 points in Afghanistan, Pakistan and others.
Age also influences, with a notable increase in inactivity after age 60. “There are multiple causes,” said Dr. Bull, pointing to more motorized modes of transportation, more sedentary jobs and screen-centered leisure activities. “Get up and move,” she urged.
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Experts indicate that to change the situation It is not enough to modify individual behaviors, but it is necessary to change societies and make environments more conducive to physical activity, especially in cities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for “prioritizing bold measures, including strengthened policies and increased financing to reverse this worrying trend.”
Globally, researchers point to some signs of improvement. Almost half of the countries have advanced in the last decadeand 22 countries appear to be on track to meet the goal of reducing inactivity by 2030, if they maintain the current pace.
A sedentary lifestyle and the intake of processed foods are related to chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Photography: Shutterstock (Flotsam/Shutterstock)
*The creation of this content was assisted by artificial intelligence. The information was provided and reviewed by a journalist to ensure accuracy. The content was not generated automatically.
