The World Health Organization released global estimates on Wednesday finding that one in four adolescents aged 11 to 17 reported not getting at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on any day in the previous week, according to the report. That amounts to some 240 million young people, the report stated.
On average, adolescents reported being active on just 2.7 days a week, and only 14% reported being active on all seven days, according to the findings [1].
The report states that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers, making early habit formation critical. The findings arrive as adolescent populations continue to grow, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where close to 90% of 10- to 19-year-olds live [2].
The report found levels of physical activity among adolescents virtually unchanged since 2010. The findings point to a lack of global progress over the past 15 years, with no country on track to meet the global target of a 15% relative reduction in physical inactivity by 2030, the report warns. Without accelerated action, adolescent inactivity is projected to remain largely unchanged for th...