Four out five adolescents in UK ‘are not doing enough exercise’ says WHO report

FOUR OUT of five adolescents in the UK are not doing enough exercise, with girls lagging behind boys in staying active, according to a new report.

The figures, from the World Health Organisation (WHO), are the first global estimates on physical activity among 11 to 17-yearolds, involving 1.6m students from 146 countries.

Worldwide, girls on average were found to be less active than boys, with 84.7 per cent failing to reach the recommended exercise targets, which is slightly lower than the UK figure of 85.4 per cent.

Globally, 77.6 per cent of boys were reported as being too sedentary. The UK figure was 74.7 per cent.

Students in the US did better, with 64 per cent of boys and 80.5 per cent of girls being classed as “insufficiently active”.

Dr Leanne Riley, a researcher at the WHO and one of the study authors, said: “The trend of girls being less active than boys is concerning.

“More opportunities to meet the needs and interests of girls are needed to attract and sustain their participation in physical activity through adolescence and into adulthood.” The WHO recommends adolescents take part in an hour of moderate-tovigorous physical activity, which can include walking, cycling or playing games, each day.

The new analysis, which is published in Lancet Adolescent And Child Health, found that 81 per cent of students around the world are not meeting these requirements.

Boys in the Philippines (93 per cent) and girls in South Korea (97 per cent) were found to be the most inactive in the study.

Although Bangladesh had the lowest levels of inactivity for boys and girls, figures showed that two in three children (66 per cent) were not doing an hour a day of exercise.

Dr Regina Guthold, a WHO researcher and one of the study authors, said: “Urgent policy action to increase physical activity is needed now.”