Lack of Exercise Kills TWICE as Many People as Obesity but a brisk 20-minute walk a day could cut risk of early death

 

Researchers from Cambridge University studied data from 334,000 European men and women. They found a lack of exercise could cause twice as many deaths as obesity, taking years off your life.

  

The authors noted that a brisk 20 minute walk every day could cut your chance of dying early and each day burning between 90 and 110 calories would take someone from the inactive to moderately inactive group. This would cut the risk of premature death by between 16-30 per cent.

  

The study also cite evidence of life-threatening consequences of inactivity, ranging from premature death to increased risk of health problems such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

The impact was greatest amongst normal weight individuals, but even those with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) saw a benefit.  Although being overweight and obese can be partly blamed on lack of physical exertion, the study found the link with early death is independent of an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI).

Study leader Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive.

 

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