Guess what is now the third leading killer or human beings? Ahead of cancer… ahead of tobacco… Can’t guess what it is? It’s INACTIVITY.
That’s right. And it’s now official: human beings are so lazy that inactivity is our third leading killer (after heart disease and stroke – which, arguably, can also be correlated very highly with inactivity). I really am having trouble even wrapping my brain around this report. 5.3 million people die every year (over 14,000 people/day) simply from not moving around.
This is both staggering and sobering. And it SHOULD be a wake-up call. If you don’t move around, you will die. Period. The original report was published in the LANCET JOURNAL – “Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy” – you can find it by clicking here.
But here’s what really struck me. Depressed me, really. CBS News‘ report on the matter – Inactivity Tied to 5.3 Million Deaths Worldwide, Similar To Smoking – was actually accompanied by a picture tutorial called “6 Ways To Sit Less Every Day.” Really? Are we not only so lazy, but so dumb that we don’t know how to move around without a “how-to”? Um, wow.
Here’s the kicker: you don’t have to be training for a marathon to be designated ‘active.’ The threshold here is 30 minutes of activity, 5 times per week. Apparently there are 14,520 dead people EVERY DAY (over 100,000/week) who just couldn’t seem to find 2.5 hours each week to not be on their butts. Being active can be taking a walk. Or playing tennis. Or hiking with your kids. Or gardening. It does not have to involve the latest crossfit craze or a triathlon.
C’mon folks, we can do better than this. Frankly, you’re gonna have to. Because if you don’t it turns out you’ll be dead.
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