Almost 50% of Indian Adults Are Physically Unfit, Finds New Lancet Study: What Does This Mean? [Video]

Why it matters: In 2000, 22.3 percent of the Indian adult population was physically unfit. In 2010, the number was up to 34 percent adults. And in 2022, 49.4 percent of the adult population in the country were not meeting the weekly threshold for sufficient physical activity as per World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines.

Between the lines: The disparity in the level of physical activity between men and women, however, doesn’t just exist in India.

In South Asia, across countries, women have, on average, 14 percent higher insufficient physical activity levels than men. The region ranks the second highest when it comes to adults being “insufficiently physically active.”

Zooming in on India: According to the WHO, a physically fit adult should engage in at least 150-300 minutes of activity weekly. Those who don’t are at a greater risk of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, etc.

“Previous studies have summarised Indians to be more physically inactive than their Caucasian …

Tags Cognitive Wellness, Fitness Goals, Healthy Aging, Memory Care