Rising Physical Inactivity in India: Alarming Trends and Health Risks

A study in The Lancet Global Health highlights that nearly 50% of Indian adults engaged in insufficient physical activity in 2022. Women in India and the South Asian region are more affected. This rising trend poses significant health risks and calls for urgent action to meet global physical activity targets.

Nearly half of adults in India did not engage in adequate levels of physical activity in 2022, according to a comprehensive study published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

The study found a significant gender gap, with 57% of Indian women compared to 42% of men falling short of physical activity recommendations. This mirrors trends observed across the broader South Asian region, where women's insufficient activity levels are, on average, 14% higher than men's.

South Asia ranked second to the high-income Asia Pacific in terms of physical inactivity, according to an international team including the World Health Organization (WHO). Worldwide, about a third of adults (31.3%) were not sufficiently active in 2022. The numbers have worsened since 2010, casting doubt on achieving the global target to improve physical activity by 15%.

The study projects that if current trajectories continue, 60% of Indian adults could be insufficiently active by 2030. Researchers stress that increased physical inactivity is linked to higher rates of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The WHO warns that these conditions significantly burden healthcare systems globally.

Further, an Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study found alarming rates of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and high LDL cholesterol in India. These findings underscore the urgent need for interventions to promote physical activity and improve public health outcomes.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)