Nearly a third (31%) of adults worldwide, some 1.8 billion people, will not meet recommended levels of physical activity in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which warns of the harmful effects.
Data published in The Lancet Global Health shows an increase in physical inactivity among adults by about five percentage points between 2010 and 2022. This WHO trend is concerning because it “increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases” such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and breast and colon cancer.
If the upward trend continues, the level of inactivity could rise to 35% by 2030, the WHO said in a statement.
“These new data highlight a missed opportunity to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying in a statement, calling for stronger policies and increased funding “to reverse this trend.” [de aumento da inatividade] alarming.”
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in high-income Asia and the Pacific (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of physical inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Western Oceania, according to the study.
WHO is concerned that gender and age differences persist: physical inactivity is more common among women worldwide compared to men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%, and in some countries the difference is as high as 20 percentage points. countries.
The study also shows that people over 60 are less active than other adults, highlighting the importance of WHO promoting physical activity among older people.
“Lack of physical activity poses a hidden threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” says WHO Director of Health Promotion Rüdiger Krech.
Despite the alarming results, the study shows that nearly half the world’s countries have made improvements over the past decade, and that 22 countries were identified as being on track to meet the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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