Physical Inactivity and Chronic Disease

The objective of this review is to update the state of the art regarding the influence of physical activity on the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the physiological mechanisms that may be involved. At present, there is an urgent need to promote physical activity, as 28% of the world's population is physically inactive. Physical inactivity is responsible for 6% of the global disease burden from coronary heart disease, 7% of type 2 diabetes mellitus, 10% of breast cancers, and 10% of colon cancers. Physical inactivity is thought to promote oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage and thus accelerated aging, genome instability, and predisposition to develop NCDs. In addition, physical inactivity can lead to an increase in body fat through an energy imbalance sustained over time, leading to an accumulation of visceral fat, which increases the risk of developing many NCDs, especially cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The World Health Organization aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs globally by one-third by 2030. Given the above, physical activity levels should be increased to reach the World Health Organization 2020 recommendations.
Source: Nutrition Today - Category: Nutrition Tags: Nutrition Science Source Type: research