Not complying with physical activity recommendations is leaving around a third of adults (approx.1.5 billion people) and 4 out of 5 adolescents at a 20-30% greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer, Brazilian researchers have found. The first paper in The Lancet Series on physical activity has calculated the first global estimate of physical activity levels.

The research shows that physical inactivity rates differ in various regions of the world; from 17 percent of adults in southeast Asia to 43 percent in the Americas. Estimates also differ when comparing countries, from 5 percent of people in Bangladesh to 71 percent in Malta.

Pedro C Hallal, from the Universidade Federal de Pelotas in Brazil, and colleagues used self-reported data to compare global patterns of physical activity in adults (ages 15 and older) from 122 countries (which represent 89 percent of the world’s population), and in adolescents (13-15) from 105 nations. The team measured total physical activity during leisure-time, at work, housework, and transport-related activity (such as walking to school), by handing out standardized questionnaires for the participants to complete.

Investigations revealed that the recommended activities, known as moderate-intensity activities, like walking for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week, or running for 20 minutes 3 times a week, is not being done by approximately 3 out of 10 adults worldwide.

Estimates showed:

  • Countries with the greatest prevalence of inactive adults were Malta (71%), Serbia (68%), the UK (63%), Turkey (56%), Cyprus (55%), and Italy (55%)
  • Countries with the lowest prevalence of inactive adults were Greece (16%), Estonia (17%), and the Netherlands (18%)
  • Countries falling in the middle range were USA (41%) and Canada (34%)

Hallal said:

“In most countries, inactivity rises with age and is higher in women than in men (34% vs. 28%). Inactivity is also increased in high-income countries.”

While boys report being more active than girls, there are still over 80 percent of 13 to 15 year olds not exercising at the recommended amounts. The guidelines say that being physically active for at least one hour a day is all that is necessary.

Hallal explained:

“Although the technological revolution has been of great benefit to many populations throughout the world, it has come at a major cost in terms of the contribution of physical inactivity to the worldwide epidemic of non-communicable diseases.

Social trends are leading to less not more activity than previously, [and] with few exceptions, health professionals have been unable to mobilize governments and populations to take physical inactivity sufficiently seriously as a public health issue.”

According to Hallal, there are still large gaps in existing surveillance, because there are no available data for about one third of countries. People in Africa and the poorest of Latin America and central Asia have the most non-communicable diseases, yet they have yet been researched.

Written by Sarah Glynn