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Eat less and walk more
BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS
AS
confidence grows in the world over humans’ ability
to prolong life and even aspire to reach the age of
120 in the future, there are more people thinking
about the benefits of physical activity, and
promoting an active lifestyle to achieve that goal.
In
that sense, the World Health Organization (WHO)
especially stresses the need for today’s men and
women to abandon sedentary habits and choose
healthier ways of living, so that they live longer
with quality of life.
It
has been widely confirmed that sedentary lifestyles
are significant cause of mortality, morbidity and
disabilities. According to the initial results of a
WHO study on risk factors, sedentary lifestyles are
one of the 10 main causes of mortality and
disability in the world.
Data
from this organization reveals that approximately
two million deaths per year may be attributed to
lack of physical activity.
Currently, the WHO is evaluating the international
percentage of illnesses caused by 22 risk factors
related to health, among them sedentariness. While
the results of that research have yet to be
published, for researchers it’s evident that lack of
physical activity is an important public health
problem that affects millions of people throughout
the world.
A
CULTURAL MALAISE
Health surveys done around the world are notably
similar: the percentage of sedentary or nearly
sedentary adults varies between 60-85%. Today’s
culture has taken millions of people to the point
that has made it urgent to implement efficient
measures for promoting physical activity and
improving health throughout the world.
The
extent to which physical activity is lacking is
great in nearly all countries, both developed and
developing. In the first, more than 50% of all
adults are not sufficiently active. In the rapidly
growing cities of the developing world, lack of
physical activity is an ever-increasing problem.
But
the problem goes beyond urban areas and reaches into
rural zones. There, too, sedentary pastimes like
watching television are on a real increase. This has
translated into a growth in obesity, diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases.
Chronic diseases are today the principal cause of
mortality in the world. Inadequate diet, excess
calories, inactivity, obesity and related chronic
diseases are the main public health problem in most
countries.
Less
food and more physical activity are recommended by
experts to prevent the syndrome of diabetes and
obesity. Professionals also recommend the detection
of sedentary habits at an early age as a way of
preventing these conditions, in the interest of
expanding the number of those who may aspire to live
to be 120 or more.
They
also warn about the dangerous childhood
sedentariness that is aggravated when children play
for many hours on the computer or spend the day in
front of the television.
In
reference to the above-mentioned syndrome, some
specialists define it as a set of alterations that
appear and that are related to diabetes and obesity,
such as high blood pressure, overly high blood sugar
levels, changes in cholesterol, and its direct
responsibility for heart and brain diseases.
Prevention of these alterations beginning at an
early age is becoming more and more necessary. While
there are 150 million people who suffer from
diabetes worldwide, experts estimate that by 2025,
that number will have doubled if certain habits such
as sedentariness or poor diet don’t change. In Cuba,
there are 200,000 diabetics, a figure that is also
expected to increase considerably if the problems of
sedentariness are not attended to.
“Eat less and walk more” is the simple prescription
that experts give to combat the harm done by
sedentary habits.
Information:
redac2@granmai.cip.cu |
