Laziness Can Kill

By Kai Colvin - Senior Medical Research Editor | August 29th, 2012

Behind every single beating heart—exists a drive, a spirit, a purpose.

You may be passionate about racing cars, music, cooking, writing, sports or whatever breathes fire into your life.

But— are you passionate about your health?

Physical inactivity causes 1 in 10 deaths worldwide, according to a chain of studies recently released in the British medical journal The Lancet.

Physical inactivity is creating worldly headlines as it is overwhelming paralleled to the dangers of smoking and obesity. The results have public health officials treating this state of existences—laziness, as a pandemic.

Harvard researchers piloted five different studies to give us valuable insight to the world of physical inactivity as it has instigated over 5 million deaths resultant of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancers.

Five Studies Piloted

1. Adults and children—amplified risk

Nearly one-third of adults and close to 80% of our worldwide youth sees an increased risk of disease as a result of physical dormancy.

"In most countries, inactivity rises with age and is higher in women than in men [34% vs. 28%]," conveyed Dr. Pedro C. Hallal, Professor at the Universidade Federal de Pelotas in Brazil.

2. To exercise or not to exercise?

Researchers established that health status, being male, young or wealthy incline individuals to be more physically active, along with family and societal support.

"Research has been heavily concentrated in a few developed countries, most of which have stable or falling rates of noncommunicable diseases, rather than in low-income countries where understanding of evidence-based strategies for increasing physical activity is poor," stated Adrian Bauman, lead researcher from the University of Sydney in Australia.

3. Promoting physical movement

The research keyed in on specific programs and the types of programs in which promoted physical activity. The wide use of mass-media campaigns, as well as signage to remind individuals to be active had a great impact on physical activity.

"Because even moderate physical activity such as walking and cycling can have substantial health benefits, understanding strategies that can increase these behaviors in different regions and cultures has become a public health priority," specified Gregory Heath, lead researcher from the University of Tennessee.

4. Technology and Physical Activity

Research delivered an important message about the way technology can help individuals overcome laziness. With more than 4 billion text messaging users worldwide, technology can be an active way to distribute health-conscious communication, particularly in low-income countries.

"With the high prevalence of both physical inactivity and the rapid growth of the mobile phone sector in low-income and middle-income countries, there is a potential for population-level effects that could truly affect global health," stated Dr. Michael Pratt, head researcher from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5. Inactivity should be considered a pandemic

Is Laziness a universal virus and should it be treated like any other infectious-disease contagion in the world?

University of Texas School of Public Health study author, Harold Kohl best stated, "The role of physical inactivity continues to be undervalued despite robust evidence of its protective effects."

He further added, "Physical inactivity is an issue that crosses many sectors and will require collaboration, coordination and communication with multiple partners.”

The Allure of Laziness

Perhaps the allure of laziness is the ample conservation of energy that allows us to shine in the areas of life we feel most passionate about.

Today, it seems that abundance of energy is poorly directed and is met with few compelling motivators. Enters the term procrastination—we put off significant tasks because they are inconvenient or take on the partiality of ‘there is always tomorrow’.

Health is a priority. Be active. Be involved.

To learn more about health matters and the effects of laziness, find a general physician in your area.