The World Health Organization (WHO) says about 240 million adolescents worldwide reported no physical activity on any day in the previous week, raising concerns about young people’s health.
In a statement on Wednesday, the WHO said the figure represented one in four adolescents aged 11 to 17 who failed to achieve at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, according to new global estimates.
“The findings, published in The Lancet Global Health, show that adolescents were physically active for an average of only 2.7 days a week, while just 14 per cent exercised every day,” it said.
The WHO said global physical activity levels among adolescents had remained virtually unchanged over the past 15 years, indicating limited progress in addressing inactivity among young people.
“The study, based on 389 population-based surveys across 140 countries and territories, involved more than 3.2 million adolescents.
“It revealed significant gender disparities, with 28 per cent of girls reporting no active days during the week, compared with 22 per cent of boys.
“Similarly, only 11 per cent of girls reported being physically active every day, compared with 17 per cent of boys. Girls were less active in almost every country and WHO region,” it said.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the persistent inactivity showed that greater efforts were needed to create environments that encouraged young people to exercise.
“For 15 years, the world has made almost no progress in getting young people moving, and girls are being left furthest behind,” he said.
Ghebreyesus said governments should prioritise safe schools, streets and communities where physical activity, movement and play could become accessible parts of everyday life.
He said the solution was not simply to encourage adolescents to exercise more, but also to address environmental and social barriers that limited their opportunities to stay active.
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, he said, making it essential to develop active lifestyles early.
The WHO identified transport patterns, inadequate public spaces, unsafe walking and cycling routes, school environments, affordability, social norms and increasingly screen-based lifestyles as factors affecting adolescents’ physical activity.
The WHO chief said differences between countries were considerable, with the proportion of adolescents reporting no active days ranging from four per cent in some countries to more than 40 per cent in others.
He called for stronger collaboration among the education, transport, urban planning, sports and health sectors to address barriers to physical activity, particularly those affecting girls.
Ghebreyesus urged countries to promote physical activity in schools, invest in safe walking and cycling routes, and develop active communities to give young people more opportunities to move, play and exercise.
