WHO sounds alarm over lack of physical activity among teens
A quarter of teens globally engage in basically no physical activity—not even an hour of exercise a week—the World Health Organization said Wednesday, warning that this significantly raises health risks.
The World Health Organization has issued a warning about the alarming lack of physical activity among teenagers worldwide. According to a new study published in The Lancet Global Health, a quarter of adolescents aged 11 to 17 worldwide reported no active days in the previous week, meaning they engaged in less than 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise.
This alarming statistic translates to approximately 240 million young people lacking the recommended weekly activity. The study, which analyzed data from more than 3.2 million teens across 140 countries, reveals that only 14% of adolescents met the daily activity threshold, and the overall activity levels have remained largely unchanged over the past 15 years.
The WHO emphasizes that physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. They point to the need for societies to take urgent action to build environments that promote safe, easy, and normal physical activity for young people, including schools, streets, and communities. The organization highlights a troubling gender gap, with 28% of girls reporting no active days compared to 22% of boys, and only 11% of girls being active every day compared to 17% of boys.
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