Health
Research: Lack of Movement Kills 5 Million People Each Year
According to an article in the world’s leading general medical journal The Lancet, lack of movement causes heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Research compared the statistics of sporting activities in 2008 and found that every tenth person died as a cause of lack of movement.
“We now know that physical inactivity is a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, some cancers, poor skeletal health, some aspects of mental health, and overall mortality, as well as poor quality of life,” say the authors of “physical activity: more of the same is not enough.”
Another article describes a 51-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and a tumour due to weight gain. The situation in teenagers aged 13-15 is even more troubling as only every fifth of them is involved in physical activities.
Physical activities not being promoted enough
The Lancet has taken the lack of movement issue under a microscope. Although people are encouraged to exercise by health associations, there has been far too little consideration of the social and physical environments that enable such activity to be taken.
Although exercise can benefit every part of the body and substantially extend lifespan, it receives little respect from doctors or society. „This passive attitude towards inactivity, where exercise is viewed as a personal choice, is anachronistic, and is reminiscent of the battles still being fought over smoking,“ the article says.
Lack of movement is a concern only in developed industrial countries, although more than 80% of the world’s population lives in low-income and middle-income countries there hasn’t been any thorough research conducted in those areas.
Men and women in all ages are recommended to exercise at least 150 minutes per week, minimum for children is considered 60 minutes.
