WHO study: Millions of people are too lazy

Health WHO-Studie

Millions of people are too lazy – especially in Germany

Status: 2:45 p.m | Reading time: 2 minutes

Idleness is the beginning of all vices. At the very least, lack of exercise and obesity promote diseases of civilization

Quelle: Getty Images/Westend61

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Everyone should be physically active for at least 150 minutes a week to prevent illness. Many can’t do that. In Germany, the numbers are alarming, especially among teenagers.

Millions of people around the world are not exercising enough and this has devastating consequences: In the ten-year period from 2020 to 2030, almost 500 million people worldwide are likely to develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression and dementia, among other things, as a result of a lack of exercise, as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday. Germany therefore has a lot of catching up to do.

The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for adults to prevent disease. 27.5 percent of the world’s population does not achieve this. In high-income countries, the problem is about 36.8 percent, twice as big as in low-income countries (16.2 percent).

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Germany performs even worse than the average of rich countries: 44 percent of women and 40 percent of men over the age of 18 need to exercise more. In Finland, which the WHO highlights as a shining example, only 16 percent of women and 17 percent of men are not active enough. It is dramatic in Germany among 11 to 17 year olds: 88 percent of girls and 80 percent of boys move too little.

Cycling or brisk walking is sufficient

In order to keep physically fit, it is not necessary to do sporting activities such as jogging or fitness classes in associations or clubs, emphasizes the WHO. Cycling and brisk walking also contribute to fitness. In some countries there are cultural barriers that prevent women from exercising outdoors.

But you can also keep fit in your own four walls, for example by climbing stairs, playing with children or doing housework, and, as the corona pandemic has shown, also with fitness offers via video.

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The treatment of the 500 million people who are likely to become ill due to a lack of exercise costs the world a total of 27 billion dollars (27.5 billion euros), reported Fiona Bull, head of the WHO department for physical activity, in Geneva. Instead, 100 million doctors could be trained with the money.