We know it, thephysical activity plays a vital role in health. The latter “improves your physical condition, prevents the risk of complications and reduces the risk of death from cardiac or vascular causes”, specifies Health Insurance. Conversely, physical inactivity presents itself as a time bomb, increasing the risk of certain diseases.
It is in this sense that the World Health Organization (WHO) warns in a study on the impact of a lack of physical activity worldwide. Indeed, according to them, “nearly a third (31%) of adults worldwide, or around 1.8 billion people, are not achieving recommended levels of physical activity by 2022”thus increasing the risk of certain pathologies such as certain cancers or cardiovascular diseases. This research work is published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.
34% of women do not get enough physical activity, according to the WHO
To determine physical activity habits, the World Health Organization used data from 507 surveys spread across 163 countries and territories. The aim of this study was to analyze whether countries and regions around the world were on track to achieve the goal of reducing the shortage by 15%. physical activityby 2030.
According to the recommendations of the UN organization, a physical activity qualified as “sufficient” consists of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination each week.
The authors note that “the highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia-Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%)”. Among the disparities, the researchers note that “physical inactivity is even more common among women in the world than among men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%”.
The authors point out that a lack of physical activity increases the risk of certain pathologies such as:
- heart attacks,
- THE cerebrovascular accidents (CVA),
- type 2 diabetes,
- breast cancer,
- the Colon Cancer,
- dementia.
WHO calls for promotion of physical activity in countries
On a global scale, researchers have been alerted to the lack of physical activity. “If the trend continues, inactivity levels are expected to rise further to 35% by 2030, and the world is currently far from meeting the global goal of reducing physical inactivity by 2030,” they emphasize.
If these results are qualified as “worrying”the WHO nevertheless emphasizes that “nearly half of the world’s countries have made progress over the past decade”. According to them, “22 countries have been identified as likely to achieve the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.”
In a statement, Dr Fiona Bull, head of the WHO physical activity unit, calls for the promotion of physical activity “beyond the simple promotion of individual lifestyle choice”. According to her, “this will require a whole-of-society approach and the creation of environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be active in the ways they please in order to reap the many health benefits of activity regular physics”.
Sources :
- National, regional, and global trends in insufficient physical activity among adults from 2000 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 507 population-based surveys with 5·7 million participants – The Lancet Global Health – 25/06/24
- Nearly 1.8 billion adults at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity – OMS communiqué – 26/06/2024
- Be active to maintain your health and feel better – Health insurance
