Between 2020 and 2030, almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other chronic diseases attributable to physical inactivity, reported the World Health Organization (WHO).
If governments do not take urgent action to encourage greater physical activity among their populations, health centers could face costs for 27 billion dollars annually.
In his report on the global status of physical activity 2022, The WHO details that in 194 countries progress is slow, so the development and implementation of policies must be accelerated to increase levels of physical activity, in addition to prevent diseases and reduce the burden on the health system.
Among other data, the report highlights that:
- Less than 50 percent of countries have a national physical activity policy.
- Only 30 percent of countries have national physical activity guidelines for all age groups.
- Almost all countries report a system to monitor physical activity in adults, while 75 percent monitor physical activity among adolescents, and less than 30 percent monitor physical activity in children under 5 years of age.
- In policy areas that could encourage active and sustainable transport, only 40 per cent of countries have road design standards that make walking and cycling safer.
“We need more countries to scale up the implementation of policies to help people be more active through walking, cycling, and other sports and physical activities,” said the WHO director-general.
The doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus He stressed that “the benefits are enormous, not only for the physical and mental health of people, but also for societies and the economy.”
According to the study, the economic burden of physical inactivity is significant and the cost of treating new cases of chronic diseases it will reach almost 300 billion dollars by 2030.
While national policies to address these diseases and physical inactivity have increased in recent years, currently 28 percent of the measures are neither funded nor implemented.