India, the country with the biggest population and the fastest-growing economy, is seeing a concerning trend. Even while the workforce is youthful and vibrant, with young adults and millennials making up the majority, a sizable section of the population is not physically fit. People’s routines have become repetitive, centred around work, travel, and weekend socialising, as they move to large cities to seek jobs and create their lives. This has resulted in poor diet and a decrease in physical exercise, which poses major health hazards.
Alarming Data on Physical Inactivity in India
One in two Indian individuals did not achieve the recommended amount of physical activity in 2022, according to recent statistics published in The Lancet Global Health. This is a worrying number. The risk of a number of chronic illnesses, such as dementia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and malignancies including breast and colon cancer, is increased by this inactivity, experts warn. One of the WHO’s Health Promotion Directors, Dr. Rüdiger Krech, referred to physical inactivity as a “silent threat to global health.”
Globally, 31% of adults did not engage in adequate physical activity, while in India, the figure was a staggering 49.4%. This is higher compared to neighboring countries like Pakistan (45.7%), Bhutan (9.9%), and Nepal (8.2%). If current trends continue, it’s predicted that 59.9% of Indian adults will be physically inactive by 2030.
Recommended Levels of Physical Activity
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, each week. This can include activities like walking, cycling, sports, and even household chores. Any physical movement counts towards being active.
Impact of Physical Inactivity on Health
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the lost opportunities to reduce cancer and heart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity. He called for renewed commitments and bold actions, including stronger policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.
Regular physical activity is known to lower the risk of diabetes by 17%, heart disease and stroke by 19%, depression and dementia by 28-32%, and various cancers by 8-28%. It is estimated that increased physical activity could prevent 4-5 million deaths annually worldwide.
Signs of Improvement and the Path Forward
There is a bright side to these concerning results. There are certain nations that are making progress; as of 2030, 22 countries are expected to achieve the worldwide goal of 15% less inactivity. Over the past ten years, improvements have been seen in over half of all countries.
India has to pay attention and move quickly to promote physical exercise among its citizens. The country may resist this trend and raise the standard of living for its citizens by encouraging a healthy lifestyle, placing supporting laws into place, and boosting financing for health programmes.
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