A study conducted by the World Health Organisation researchers found that over a quarter of the global population – which means 1.4 billion people – are at risk of severe disease because they are not sufficiently active.
Check out this article on the recommended daily activity.
The WHO study found that between 2001 and 2006, there was no progress in improving physical activity levels. With these results in mind, investigators concluded that these people were at an increased risk of serious disease: heart and artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and different types of cancers.
Scientists also said that if this issue is not reduced by at least 10% by 2025, they will not be able to meet the global target of reducing sedentary lifestyle.
“A Major Concern for Public Health”
The lead author of the study, Dr. Regina Guthold (WHO, Switzerland) stated:
“Unlike other major global health risks, levels of insufficient physical activity are not falling worldwide, on average, and over a quarter of all adults are not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity for good health.”
The study was only based on activity levels that were self-reported by 1.9 million men and women from 358 population surveys. These people reported their activity at home, work, during travel and leisure time.
The results showed that in 2016, almost one in three women (32%) and 23% men from the global population didn’t spend the recommended physical activity for a healthy lifestyle (150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of high intensity of physical activity per week).
Countries in the West that had more income showed a greater increase in the people that didn’t meet the exercise recommendation. In 2001, there were only 31% people that exercised less compared to 37% in 2016.
Dr. Guthold explains that “regions with increasing levels of insufficient physical activity are a major concern for public health and the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.”
More information on the study can be found in The Lancet Global Health journal.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.