Lack of exercise may be killing twice as many people as obesity in Europe, a new study by the University of Cambridge has revealed.
The study shows that inactivity kills about 676,000 people in Europe each year compared with 337,000 from increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity.
Researchers suggest that a brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual’s risk of early death. If you’d like to live slightly longer, then you better increase your physical activities.
Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the study, 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. Although we found that just 20 minutes would make a difference, we should really be looking to do more than this – physical activity has many proven health benefits and should be an important part of our daily life.”