Life is movement, but from a global perspective, getting people moving is a problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) released the "Global Physical Activity Report 2022" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"), saying that 81% of adolescents and 27.5% of adults do not meet the physical activity level, and for the first time emphasized the high cost of physical inactivity.
The report collected data from 194 countries and found that countries face the challenge of a lack of movement across the population:
1. Less than 50% of countries have a national fitness policy;
2. Only 30% of countries have national fitness guidelines for different age groups;
3. Less than 30% of countries monitor the exercise of children under 5;
4. Only 40% of countries have a transportation policy to ensure the safety of athletes walking and cycling.
In response to these deficiencies, WHO warns that if countries do not take urgent action to encourage people to exercise, the health and economic costs will be high:
High incidence of chronic diseases. Between 2020 and 2030, nearly 500 million people worldwide will suffer from heart disease, depression, obesity, diabetes, or other non-communicable diseases due to lack of exercise.
Medical expenses account for a large proportion. High-income countries will bear the greatest economic cost, with treatment costs due to inactivity accounting for 70% of medical expenditures.
Individuals can also suffer from a variety of diseases due to lack of exercise, and even cost their lives:
Heart disease: Infrequent exercise will slow down the blood flow, and "bad" cholesterol is easily deposited on the blood vessel wall, forming atherosclerotic plaques over time, causing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Lack of physical activity increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 82 percent, the study said.
Diabetes: Not exercising leads to calorie storage, fat gain, predisposition to insulin resistance, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. According to findings in The Lancet, 7 percent of type 2 diabetes is linked to insufficient exercise.
Cancer: Low activity will reduce immune cells, resulting in a low resistance, and increasing the chance of infection and cancer. A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that insufficient physical activity is associated with a continuing increase in the incidence of uterine cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, and colorectal cancer among young adults.
To advocate the "movement" of the whole people, WHO issued the "Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior" in November 2020, recommending that everyone, regardless of age and ability, should strengthen physical activity.
