Nearly a third of adults worldwide do not move enough

The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the “alarm” after a study published last week found that nearly a third of adults worldwide, and rising numbers, are not physically active enough, putting their physical and mental health at risk.

In 2022, 31.3% of adults – about 1.8 billion – were not getting physical activity that met health recommendations, about five percentage points more than in 2010, according to this expert estimate, published in The Lancet Global Health. It is the largest estimate made to date.

“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health” and “unfortunately, the world is not moving in the right direction,” Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO’s director of health promotion, told a news conference, pointing to a trend “that is the opposite of what we expected.”

If current trends continue, inactivity levels are expected to reach 35% by 2030, the researchers say. The global target of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030 is moving further away.

To promote good health, WHO recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (walking, swimming, cycling, etc.) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running, team sports, etc.), or an equivalent combination of moderate or vigorous physical activity.

Inactivity exposes people to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, such as breast and colon cancer, and also mental disorders, Dr. Krech recalled.

In addition to its individual impact, lack of physical activity represents “a financial burden on health systems,” noted Dr Leanne Riley of the WHO’s department of noncommunicable diseases.

The almost universal rise in sedentary lifestyles across the world masks geographical 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.

“Get up and move”

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 on average more women (33.8%) than men (28.7%). In almost a third of countries, the gap between women and men exceeds 10 percentage points. Age also weighs, with a significant increase in inactivity after 60 years of age.

How can we explain the growing lack of physical activity on the planet? “There are multiple causes,” says Dr. Fiona Bull, head of the organization’s physical activity department, citing, among other things, more motorized modes of transport, more sedentary jobs, and more screen-based leisure activities.

As we approach a summer full of major sporting events, starting with the Paris Olympics, be careful not to just “watch sports without doing any physical activity,” Dr. Krech said. “Get up and move,” he urged.

To change the situation, it is not enough to change individual behaviors, 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.”

Across 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 to be on track to achieve the global goal of reducing inactivity by 2030, if their progress continues at the same pace.

Isabelle CORTES/AFP