The prevalence of insufficient physical activity in India has skyrocketed from 22.3 percent in 2000 to 49.4 percent in 2022. (Image: Shutterstock)
The study defined insufficient physical activity as failure to meet WHO recommendations: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity.
Half of India's population is physically inactive, with women showing lower activity levels than men, the latest WHO data shows.
The worrying trend shows that globally, 31 percent of adults are physically inactive, but in India this figure rises to 49.4 percent, followed by 45.7 percent in Pakistan. By contrast, the inactivity rate is much lower in Bhutan, at 9.9 percent, and in Nepal, at 8.2 percent.
New WHO data published in the medical journal The Lancet Global Health shows another alarming trend: the prevalence of insufficient physical activity in India has skyrocketed from 22.3 percent in 2000 to 49.4 percent in 2022.
The data projects that if current trends continue through 2030, 59.9 percent of adults in India will not reach the recommended level of physical activity. Studies have shown that insufficient physical activity increases the risk of non-communicable diseases, poor physical and cognitive function, weight gain, and mental health problems.
It means that Indians are likely to be unfit and have high chances of suffering from various non-communicable diseases including heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer and hypertension due to insufficient physical activity.
The study defined insufficient physical activity as failure to meet WHO recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination.
The study was conducted by WHO researchers together with academic colleagues and published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
Missed opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease: WHO chief
According to the data, the highest rates of physical inactivity were found in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48 percent) and South Asia (45 percent). By contrast, inactivity levels in other regions ranged from 28 percent in high-income Western countries to 14 percent in Oceania.
Data shows that almost a third (31 percent) of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
The results point to a worrying trend in physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by around five percentage points between 2010 and 2022, according to the WHO press release of June 26.
“These new findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and improve mental health and well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We must renew our commitment to increasing physical activity levels and prioritize bold action, including strengthened policies and increased financing, to reverse this worrying trend.”
The data showed that physical inactivity remains more common among women globally compared to men, with inactivity rates of 34 percent versus 29 percent. “In some countries, this difference reaches 20 percentage points,” the press release notes when analyzing the data. “In addition, people over 60 years of age are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity among older adults.”
