Among the more important international stories this week was one originating with the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a worrying decline in physical activity for adults across the globe.

A study led by WHO researchers showed 31 per cent of the world’s adults, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.

The report, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, said physical inactivity among adults increased by about five per cent between 2010 and 2022.

We hear that, globally, adult physical inactivity could rise to 35 per cent by 2030.

The WHO recommends that adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week.

Experts say physical inactivity puts people at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes, type 2 diabetes, and cancers.

It also adversely affects mental health and can lead to debilitating cognition ailments including dementia.

“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” Dr Rüdiger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO, is reported as saying.

“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active…. By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive,” he added.

It’s not all bad news. The study showed that many countries have made improvements over recent years. Twenty two countries are said to be on track to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15 per cent come 2030.

In Jamaica, available indicators suggest the situation is getting worse, not better.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, his aides, and medical practitioners have consistently urged Jamaicans to utilise physical exercise, sport, and recreation, alongside proper diet, in order to stay healthy.

Billions of dollars spent annually, publicly and privately, to cope with the effects of non-communicable diseases should be evidence enough of the need for an active life style.

Dr Tufton’s popular initiative Jamaica Moves of a few years ago was largely motivated by that need.

Sadly that project was hamstrung by controversy and, subsequently, restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We welcome efforts to revive that project and variations thereof.

It’s crystal clear that a focused, sustained, comprehensive drive to involve everyone in sport and exercise is extremely important. The need takes on wings against the backdrop of the rapid technological advances which have transformed lifestyles, with ever-increasing numbers of people spending their downtime indoors, virtually addicted to digital devices.

Central to that drive for physical activity, we believe the Jamaican Government, in partnership with the private sector, community organisations, and others, should as much as possible upgrade and improve outdoor facilities, such as parks, playing fields, recreation grounds, et al.

In those respects, we are at one with WHO’s Dr Fiona Bull, who says: “Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice; it [requires] a whole-of-society approach…”