By Prince Moore
Jamaicans are among close to 2 billion people at risk of disease due to a lack of physical activity.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that an estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide are not sufficiently engaging in physical activities
The WHO has expressed particular concern about the rates of inactivity in the Americas, including the Caribbean.
The WHO says new data show that nearly one third or 31 per cent of adults worldwide, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
It says the findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about five percent from 2010 to 2022.
Rates of inactivity in the Americas, including the Caribbean, were also higher than the global average, at 36 per cent.
The WHO is warning that if the trend continues, the global level of inactivity is projected to further rise to 35 per cent by 2030, and the world is currently off track towards meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.
It is recommending that adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week.
The WHO says physical inactivity puts adults at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers, including those affecting the breasts and colon.
The study was undertaken by researchers from WHO, together with academic colleagues, and published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
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