According to a new study in The Lancet, around 1.8 billion people worldwide are physically unhealthy.
The data shows that nearly one-third of the world’s population, around 31% of adults, will not meet the WHO-recommended physical activity levels in 2022.
This highlights an alarming increase in physical inactivity among adults, which is expected to increase by 35% by 2030.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, per week.
Physical inactivity increases the risk of serious non-communicable health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and certain cancers.
“Our findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce rates of cancer and heart disease and improve mental health through increased physical activity,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We need to recommit to increasing physical activity levels through stronger policies and increased funding.”
The highest rates of inactivity were in high-income Asia and the Pacific, at around 48 percent, and in South Asia, at around 45 percent.
In other regions, levels of inactivity ranged from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
But disparities remain across gender and age groups, WHO researchers said.
Globally, more women (34%) than men (29%) are physically inactive, with the difference being as much as 20 percentage points in some countries.
People aged 60 years and older are becoming less active, highlighting the need to promote physical activity in older adults.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health and a major cause of chronic disease,” said Dr Rundiger Krech, WHO’s Director for Health Promotion.
“Making physical activity accessible, affordable and enjoyable for everyone can reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a healthier, more productive population,” Dr Krech added.
Despite the worrying results, there are signs of progress in some countries.
Nearly half of the world’s countries have made some improvement over the past decade, and if current trends continue, 22 countries are on track to reduce their activity shortfall by 15 percent by 2030.
