WHO: Physical inactivity will cause disease in 500 million people by 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO), in a new report, warned that almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity or other diseases attributed to physical inactivity between 2020 and 2030.

The document contains data from 194 countries and shows the slow progress of nations towards the creation of public policies that can reverse this situation.

The WHO highlights that the costs of this public health problem can reach US$27 billion a year.

In an interview with CNN Radio the cardiologist from Imperial College London Ricardo Petraco highlighted that the financial aspect is a great novelty of the report.

“We are talking about billions of dollars, when this figure is presented to governments, they are more likely to act more vehemently on this issue,” he said.

According to him, “the WHO tries to clarify that we have to do something, prevention is something cheaper than treating diabetes, stroke and heart attack.”

The challenge, for Petraco, is enormous, as “we are living a post-pandemic lifestyle that favors physical activity.”

“We sit at the computer, use the phone for everything, do everything virtually, even shopping at the supermarket.”

He argues that the change in mentality should not depend only on the government, but also on the education of children in schools and at home.

The cardiologist explains that physical activity does not mean becoming a professional marathon runner or tennis player.

“The recommendation is 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of more intense exercise, but it’s no use even sweating. The secret to working the cardiovascular system is 2 to 3 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes, but at a high intensity, you come out sweaty and tired,” he said.

*With production by Isabel Campos