Of the many changes that have taken place during the 21st century, one of the negative aspects has been in the form of an emerging and increasing trend toward a sedentary lifestyle.
The more we become inactive, the more we experience health scares in life. Experts confirm it, and we read it right! A sedentary lifestyle can take a toll on our health and cause many ailments!
"Sedentary lifestyles make it one of the more serious yet insufficiently addressed public health problems of our time", states a World Health Organisation (WHO) report. This has worrying implications for future health, as physical inactivity is one of the main risk factors for death, it adds.
The number of people leading sedentary lifestyles is increasing due to a rise in occupational behaviours such as long office hours, increased use of electronic devices, and travel. Accordingly, the prevalence of relevant non-communicable diseases has registered a steep increase.
Studies show that 31 per cent of the global population consists of inactive individuals over the age of 15. This contributes to the death of 3.2 million people annually. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children are also insufficiently active, with serious implications for their future health.
According to the WHO report, almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes, or other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) attributable to physical inactivity.
The report points out those non-communicable diseases affect people of all age groups, regions, and countries. “Although they are often associated with older age groups, evidence shows that 17 million NCD deaths occur before the age of 70", it says.
In the Sultanate of Oman, according to a 2018 WHO study, NCDs are the leading cause of premature mortality, killing 18 per cent of Omanis between the ages of 30 and 70. Cardio-vascular diseases (CVDs) account for 36 per cent of NCD deaths, plus 11 per cent from cancer, 8 per cent from diabetes, and 2 per cent from chronic respiratory diseases.
The Government of Oman, as part of its plans to reduce the impact of NCDs, has set a target to reduce the premature mortality rate by one-third by the year 2030 by implementing comprehensive strategies and interventions.
While describing sedentary lifestyles as being among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world, the United Nations' health agency reveals that of the premature deaths, 86 per cent are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Children, adults, and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke, or the harmful use of alcohol or air pollution.
Tobacco use accounts for over 8 million deaths every year, including from the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke. Nearly 1.8 million annual deaths have been attributed to excess salt or sodium intake.
More than half of the 3 million annual deaths attributable to alcohol use are from NCDs, including cancer, and 830,000 deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.
Among the preventive measures recommended by WHO are moderate physical activity for up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes each week of strenuous physical activity, tobacco cessation, and healthy nutrition.
At the same time, it’s important to educate people, starting in childhood, to adopt and increase exercise. We know that only active children can become healthy adults. So the authorities should take steps to make physical activity an integral part of education.
While ultimate responsibility may rest with each individual, our lifestyle affects us not just individually but also has an impact on our surroundings and, thus, on society.
So we need to change and become healthier. And if you don’t, no doubt, as experts suggest, lack of physical activity and its consequences would be the pandemic of the 21st century!
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
