New research from the entity shows an increasing trend of inactivity among the world’s population; Exercise is essential for the prevention and control of chronic diseases
A new study by World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 31% of adults worldwide do not reach the recommended levels of physical exercise in 2022. In total, 1.8 billion people fall into the group of people with insufficient physical activity, a number 5% higher than that detected by the entity in 2010.
“These new findings highlight a missed opportunity for reduction cancerheart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said in a statement.
Currently, the WHO recommendation is that people over the age of 18 engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity during the week. Per day, this equates to approximately 20 minutes of moderate exercise and 10 minutes of vigorous exercise.
Regular physical activity helps prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and various types of cancer. Furthermore, exercise also improves practitioners’ quality of life and mental health.
The study data were published in the scientific journal Global Health Lancet and, according to the WHO, show a worrying trend of an increasing number of adults not getting enough exercise in their daily lives. If this trend were confirmed and widespread, this group of people could go from 31% of the world population in 2024 to 35% in 2030.
Per Guilherme Artioli, PhD in Physical Education at the School of Physical Education and Sports of the University of São Paulo (EEFE-USP), researcher at the Faculty of Medicine of the USP and columnist for Estadao, there are likely several causes that account for the increased prevalence of adults not engaging in physical activity as recommended, including cultural and economic factors. “But this trend of increasing insufficiency of physical activity catches my attention at a time when there is so much talk about the importance of physical exercise,” he emphasizes.
He says the study data confirms something that’s already known: Just knowing something is good (or bad) doesn’t mean behavior will change. For the specialist it is the same logic as the doctor who smokes. “It is not enough to ‘educate’ the population about the benefits of physical activity, we should encourage it and create the conditions so that it can become more active”, she concludes.
Not surprisingly, WHO highlights the importance of countries strengthening the implementation of policies to promote and facilitate physical activity, recognizing that the practice is not just an individual lifestyle choice. Aspects such as public safety can, for example, interfere with a person’s ability to go for a walk at night, when she is free from other duties.
“Collective efforts based on partnerships between governments and non-governmental stakeholders and greater investment in innovative approaches will be needed to reach the least active people and reduce inequalities in access to measures that promote and improve physical activity,” the organization said in the statement.
The trend in the world
For now, the prevalence of inactivity is growing in 103 of the 197 countries analyzed in the study (52%). It is also more common among women (34%) than men (29%) and in older adults over the age of 60.
According to the research, the highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia-Pacific (48%) and South Asia (45%) regions, which includes countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
In Brazil, the prevalence of people who did not meet the recommendations physical activity of the WHO in 2022 it was 40.9% of the population. In this way, the country joins the list of nations that are far from the goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. In total, 136 countries participating in the study share the same situation.
On the opposite path are 61 other nations, of which 22 are classified as closest to achieving the goal. Among these, 12 are high-income nations in Europe, four in Oceania and six in sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite the worrying results, there are signs of improvement in some countries. The study showed that nearly half of the world’s countries have shown improvements over the past decade and that 22 countries are considered on track to meet the global goal of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if the trend continues at the same pace.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
