Club of the lazy: Physical inactivity kills more than 5 million people every year.
A Brazilian scientist is coordinating a special series in the British journal The Lancet on physical activity; the publication contains unprecedented analyses that quantify the global impact of physical inactivity on major chronic non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
By: Oasis Team
Who are the laziest people in the world? The placid inhabitants of the island of Malta in the central Mediterranean. With a physical inactivity rate exceeding 70%, the Maltese lead the ranking of the world's laziest nations. The most active country in the world is Bangladesh, with an inactivity rate of only 4,7%.
In Brazil, among men, the highest rates of sedentary behavior were observed in João Pessoa/PB (47,3%), Natal/RN (46,8%), and Maceió/AL (43,9%). The lowest rates of sedentary behavior were found in the cities of Boa Vista/RO (28,6%), Porto Velho/RO (31,7%), and Palmas/TO (33,3%). Among women, the highest frequencies of sedentary behavior were found in Aracaju/SE (26,5%), Natal/RN (25,4%), and João Pessoa/PB (25%). The lowest rates were in Boa Vista/AM (14,6%), Manaus/AM (14,8%), and Porto Velho/RO (16,6%). In general, the frequency of adults who engage in physical activity during leisure time was considered modest in all Brazilian capitals. The Federal District, with 21,5%, was the unit where people most frequently engage in physical activity, and São Paulo (10,5%) was the capital where physical exercise was least practiced. The study also found that more men than women engage in physical activity during their leisure time.
These data emerge from research conducted by a team from the Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, led by scientist Pedro C. Hallal, with the aim of studying populations that engage in little physical activity. This research cross-referenced data collected in 122 countries by the Global Physical Activity and International Physical Activity organizations. Updated by the World Health Organization and relating not only to sports practices but also to movement in the home, in transportation, and during leisure time, the data reveal that inactivity is very widespread, especially among women and the elderly in wealthier nations.
The research also revealed a disturbing fact: one-third of the world's adult population is physically inactive, and sedentary lifestyles kill approximately 5 million people worldwide each year. Three out of every 10 individuals over the age of 15 – representing 15 billion people globally – do not follow physical activity recommendations. Scientists have described the problem as a "pandemic." The situation for teenagers is even more worrying: four out of five young people aged 13 to 1 do not exercise enough.
Physical inactivity is described in the study as a lack of moderate exercise for 30 minutes, five times a week, and more vigorous exercise for 20 minutes, three times a week, or even a combination of both. Researchers also found that sedentary behavior increases with age, is more prevalent among women, and is more common in wealthy countries.
A second study, comparing physical activity with incidence statistics for diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, and cancer, showed that lack of exercise is responsible for more than 5,3 million of the 57 million deaths that occurred worldwide in 2008.
The document also states that inactivity is a risk factor comparable to smoking and obesity. According to the study, lack of exercise causes about 6% of coronary heart disease cases, 7% of type 2 diabetes cases (the most common form), and 10% of colon and breast cancers.
Reducing sedentary behavior by 10% could eliminate more than half a million deaths each year, according to experts, who add that these estimates are conservative.
The human body needs exercise to keep bones, muscles, heart, and other organs functioning optimally. But people are walking, running, and cycling less and less, and spending more time in cars and in front of computers.
By generalizing physical activity, the life expectancy of the world's population could increase by 0,68 years, almost as if all obese Americans returned to a normal weight, the study adds. It is also estimated that tobacco kills 5 million people per year.
Most inactive adults are found in Malta (71%), Serbia (68%), and the United Kingdom (63%), while Greece and Estonia are among the most active nations, with only 16% and 17% respectively of inactive people.
Regarding the question of how to convince people to get moving, no study has a miracle recipe. According to Gregory Heath (University of Tennessee), who studied different attempts between 2001 and 2011, the most effective measures are media campaigns and small messages, such as "take the stairs instead of the elevator." He also cites the example of walking clubs, the creation of bike lanes, or the temporary ban on car traffic in city centers.
These efforts are particularly needed in low- and middle-income countries, where economic and social changes can rapidly reduce physical activity, which was previously associated with work and transportation, Heath adds.