Physical inactivity kills 5 million a year: report

A third of the world's adults are physically inactive, and the couch
potato lifestyle kills about five million people every year,
expertssaid in the medical journal The Lancet on Wednesday.
"Roughly three of every 10 individuals aged 15 years or older-- about
1.5 billion people -- do not reach present physical activity
recommendations," they said in a report that described the problem as
a "pandemic."
The picture for adolescents is even more worrying, with four out of
five 13- to 15-year-olds not moving enough, it said.
Physical inactivity was described for the study as failing to do 30
minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week, 20 minutes of
vigorous activity threetimes a week, or a combination of the two.
Inactivity increases with age, is higher in women than in men, and
more prevalent in high-income countries, the researchers found.
A second study, comparing physical activity levels with population
statistics on diseases like diabetes, heart problems andcancer, said
lack of exercise claimed more than 5.3 million of the 57 million
deaths worldwide in 2008.
It said inactivity was a risk factor comparable to smoking or obesity.
Lack of exercise causes an estimated six percent of coronaryheart
disease cases, seven percent of type 2 diabetes (the most common form)
and 10 percent of breast and colon cancers, it said.
The human body needs exercise to help the bones, muscles, heartand
other organs function optimally, but populations are walking, running
and cycling less and less as they spend more timein cars and in front
of computers,the investigators said.
The Lancet series called for globalefforts to promote physical
exercise by improving pedestrian and cyclist safety on city roads, for
example, more physical education at school or promotingaccess to free
public exercise spaces.