WHO Sounds Alarm on Global Physical Inactivity Crisis

The fitness and wellness gap isn’t just an American issue. A recent study found that 1.8 billion people worldwide don’t get enough physical activity

In case there wasn’t enough already, the World Health Organization (WHO) has new evidence supporting the importance of physical activity, as well as our collective global failure to get enough of it.

A study conducted by researchers from the WHO and its academic colleagues published in The Lancet Global Health Journal found that 31% of adults, approximately 1.8 billion individuals, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. Those levels include either 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or any sort of equivalent per week.

Physical inactivity puts adults at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes , dementia and cancers such as breast and colon, according to the WHO .

“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” said Dr. Rüdiger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO. “We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors like age, environment, and cultural background.”

Physical inactivity among adults increased by roughly 5% between 2010 and 2022, according to the study. Should that continue, levels of inactivity project to rise to 35% by 2030, taking things in an entirely different direction from the WHO’s global goal of establishing a 15% inactivity reduction by the same year.

“These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and improve mental health and well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We must renew our commitment to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritizing bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”

The study found the highest rates of physical inactivity in the high-income Asia-Pacific region, clocking in at 48%, followed closely by South Asia at 45%.

It also found notable disparities with age and gender: the female inactivity rate of 34% exceeded that of males at 29%. The data also reflected people over 60 are less active than other adults, illustrating another missed opportunity in terms of battling sarcopenia, the age-induced loss of muscle and strength.

The study isn’t all doom and gloom, however. It also found that nearly half the world’s countries improved their inactivity rates over the past decade, and projects that 22 nations will reach the 15% reduction figure individually by 2030.

With the WHO still set on hitting that figure globally, it’s calling on all countries to fortify their physical activity-promoting policies , taking a particular look at community sports, active recreation and transportation.

“We must renew our commitment to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritizing bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.

“Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice,” added Dr. Fiona Bull, head of the WHO unit for physical activity. “It will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity.”

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