Laziness puts 13million Brits at risk of diabetes, dementia and cancer (2024)

Physical inactivity is putting almost 13million Britons at risks of diseases like cancer, stroke, dementia and diabetes, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns.

Britain's total is part of the 1.8billion adults around the world the body said was at risk of poor health from a lack of exercise, and the problem appears to be getting worse.

WHO researchers foundphysical inactivity had risen by about five percentage points between 2010 and 2022.

Overall, nearly a third of adults (31 per cent) around the world don't exercise enough, up from 23 per cent (900 million people) in 2000 and 26 per cent in 2010.

The research found 19 per cent of the British population don't exercise enough equivalent to about 12.7million people.

If current global trends continue, experts predict that by 2030, some 35 per cent of people won't be doing enough exercise.

But Britain is bucking the trend with the WHO predicting rates of inactivity in the UK will drop to 13 per cent by this time.

Multiple studies have shown a lack of exercise increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers such as breast and bowel.

When it comes to gender differences, it seems women are consistently less likely to exercise than men, with inactivity rates of 34 per cent compared to 29 per cent.

The new study, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, warned the world is currently off track from meeting a global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said: 'These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity.

'We must renew our commitments to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”

WHO recommendations say that adults take 150 minutes of moderate intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, every week.

This is the same amount of exercise recommended by the NHS.

Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking (4mph or faster), heavy cleaning such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous activity examples are hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, shovelling, fast cycling, a football game, basketball or tennis.

The WHO defines insufficient physical activity in its study as not meeting these weekly exercise guidelines.

This new study, which included data and estimates for 163 countries and territories, found people over 60 are also less active than those who are younger.

And although high-income Western countries appear to be slowly reducing rates of inactivity (to 28 per cent of people in 2022), they are still off track.

The World Health Assembly has set a global target – widely expected to be missed – of a 15% per cent reduction in insufficient physical activity between 2010 and 2030.

Dr Rudiger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO, said: 'Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases.

'By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”

Dr Panagiota Mitrou, director of research, policy and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: 'This timely report is a wake-up call to the world that more needs to be done to encourage people to be more active.

'Governments must recognise that being physically active is incredibly important for our mental and physical health, including protecting against several cancers and supporting people to be a healthy weight, which in turn reduces the risk of 13 cancer types.'

Huw Edwards, chief executive of ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the exercise sector, said: 'These figures should sound the alarm bell for nations around the world and we need to see more urgent action from the next Government to address physical inactivity in the UK.

'Physical activity is essential in reducing rates of long-term health conditions so if we do not prioritise getting more people active, the strain on our NHS and our economy will grow.

'We are calling on the Government to first commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and deploy the physical activity sector to boost the nation’s physical and mental health.'

The UK is on track to meet the 15 per cent physical inactivity target reduction from 2010 to 2030. However, this assumes the current trend continues.

Not getting enough exercise, alongside poor diet, is thought to be one of driving factors in Britain's bulging obesity crisis.

Overall, two thirds of all British adults are now too fat, compared to just half in the mid-90s. Of those, a quarter are obese.

Britain's expanded waistlines is also estimated to cost the nation nearly £100billion per year.

This colossal figure includes the health harms on the NHS as well as secondary economic effects like lost earnings from people taking time off work due to illness and early deaths.