(Paris) The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the “alarm signal” on the occasion of the publication of a study on Wednesday which reveals that almost a third of adults in the world, a figure in increase, have insufficient physical activity, which threatens their physical and mental health.
In 2022, 31.3% of adults –– around 1.8 billion – did not practice physical activity that meets health recommendations, around five points more than in 2010, according to this estimate from experts, including of the WHO, published in The Lancet Global Health. It is the largest made so far.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health” and “unfortunately the world is not moving in the right direction,” Dr. Ruediger Krech, director of health promotion, commented at a press conference to the WHO, pointing to a trend “opposite to expectations”.
Dr Fiona Bull, head of the organisation’s physical activity department, said the findings were “a wake-up call”.
If current trends continue, inactivity levels are expected to reach 35% by 2030, researchers say. The global goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030 is still slipping away.
To promote good health, the WHO recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (walking, swimming, cycling, etc.) or 75 minutes of intense activity (running, team sports, etc.), or an equivalent combination of moderate or sustained physical activity.
Inactivity exposes you to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, such as breast and colon, but also mental disorders, recalled Dr. Krech.
In addition to its individual impact, the lack of physical activity represents “a financial burden on health systems”, noted Dr Leanne Riley, from the WHO department of non-communicable diseases.
The almost general surge in sedentary lifestyle across the world masks geographic or socio-demographic disparities.
Asia-Pacific (48%), closely followed by South Asia (45%), ranks first among the regions with the highest lack of physical activity in 2022, in contrast to Oceania (14%) and sub-Saharan Africa.
More than 50% of adults in ten countries (United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Cuba, Lebanon, South Korea, Panama, Qatar, Iraq, Portugal, Saudi Arabia) are also too sedentary. Conversely, they are less than 10% in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, in rich Western nations, in Oceania or in South Asia.
Another trend, which is confirmed: the lack of physical activity affects women (33.8%) more on average than men (28.7%).
In almost a third of countries, the gap between women and men exceeds 10 percentage points. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cuba, Guyana, Iran and the Bahamas, it even reaches 20 points, at least.
Age also plays a role, with a significant increase in inactivity after age 60.
How can we explain the growing lack of physical activity on the planet? “There are multiple causes,” replied Dr. Fiona Bull, referring, among other things, to more motorized modes of travel, more sedentary jobs, more screen-based leisure activities.
As we approach a summer full of major sporting events, starting with the Paris Olympic Games, be careful not to just “watch sport, without having any physical activity,” Dr. Krech said. “Get up and move,” he urged.
To change the situation, it is not enough to modify individual behavior, we must change societies and make environments, especially in cities, more conducive to physical activity (walking, cycling, etc.) and less sedentary work. , according to experts.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called in a statement to “prioritize bold action, including strengthened policies and increased financing, to reverse this worrying trend.”
Around the world, however, researchers are pointing to some signs of improvement.
Nearly half of countries have made progress in the last decade, and 22 countries appear on track to achieve the global goal of reducing inactivity by 2030, if their progress keeps the same pace.
