The World Health Organization has warned of persistently high levels of physical inactivity among adolescents, saying about 240 million young people aged 11 to 17 do not get enough physical activity, exposing them to growing health risks.
A study published in The Lancet Global Health, covering data on more than 3.2 million adolescents in 140 countries and territories, found that adolescents are physically active on average 2.7 days a week, and only 14% are active every day.
Physical inactivity raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, the WHO said, stressing the importance of building healthy, active habits from childhood.
It added that adolescents' physical activity levels have not improved significantly over the past 15 years and that inactivity remains higher among girls than boys in most countries.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said girls are the most affected and called for stepped-up efforts to encourage young people to be active. The WHO urged countries to adopt policies that make sport and physical activity easier, safer and more accessible in daily life.
