British people amongst most inactive

Ahead of the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 next week, the report, using figures from the World Health Organisation, shows 63.3 per cent of the population do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity.

In the US, 40.5 per cent of citizens are inactive, despite 30 per cent of the population being obese, and in France 32.5 per cent are inactive.

In the Republic of Ireland 53.2 per cent of the population do not do enough exercise. At the other end of the scale, the population of Netherlands comprises just 18.2 per cent of inactive people.

Britain has the third highest proportion of inactive adults in Europe after Malta (71.9 per cent) and Serbia (68.3 per cent).

Few countries around the world fared worse than the UK, with Swaziland the poorest performer at 69 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia at 68.8 per cent.

A public health issue

Study leader Dr Pedro Hallal from the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil said: “Societal trends are leading to less not more activity than previously, and with few exceptions, health professionals have been unable to mobilise governments and populations to take physical inactivity seriously as a public health issue.”

Inactivity was defined as not meeting any of three criteria: 30 minutes of moderate activity such as a brisk walk, at least five days a week; 20 minutes of vigorous activity at least three days a week; or an equivalent combination of the two.

Worldwide the research suggested that around three in every ten people aged 15 or over do not do enough exercise. It also suggests that 80 per cent of 15 to 18 year olds do insufficient amounts of exercise.

A second study found that lack of physical activity leads to 6 per cent to 10 per cent of all cases of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and breast and bowel cancer.

Globally, it was responsible for around 5.3 million of the 57 million deaths that occurred in 2008.

Study leader Dr I-Min Lee, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, said: “This summer we will admire the breathtaking feats of athletes competing in the 2012 Olympic Games.

“Although only the smallest fraction of the population will attain these heights, the overwhelming majority of us are able to be physically active at very modest levels, e.g. 15 to 30 minutes a day of brisk walking, which bring substantial health benefits.”