Physical inactivity costs Canada US$421 million annually: WHO

A new report from the World Health Organization says annual health-care costs arising from lack of physical activity have reached US$27 billion globally and US$421 million in Canada.

The global status report on physical activity, published by the WHO on Wednesday, looked at what 194 countries around the world have been doing to improve physical activity levels, as well as the costs and consequences of failing to address this issue.

Not getting enough physical activity raises the risk of developing preventable diseases, such as diabetes and certain cancers, in addition to worse mental health. The WHO estimates that nearly 500 million people around the world will develop new cases of heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other non-communicable diseases attributable to sedentary lifestyles between 2020 and 2030.

Under the current trajectory, the health-care costs due to poorer mental health outcomes and diseases linked to physical inactivity are estimated to reach US$300 billion by 2030, or US$27 billion per year, the WHO said. Canada's share of these costs is expected to total US$4.6 billion by 2030 or US$421 million annually.

These estimates only factor into account the direct health-care costs as a result of physical inactivity, and the WHO notes that the economic costs could be even greater, taking into account loss of productivity.

"We need more countries to scale up implementation of policies to support people to be more active through walking, cycling, sport and other physical activity," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news release Wednesday. "The benefits are huge, not only for the physical and mental health of individuals, but also for societies, environments, and economies."

The WHO recommends adults spend at least 150 to 300 minutes per week doing moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity combined with muscle-strengthening activities for at least two days week. Children should get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per week, the WHO recommends.

But around the world, 27.5 per cent of adults and 81 per cent of children aged 11 to 17 don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, the report found. Inactivity levels are highest in high-income countries.

In Canada, according to the report, the 26 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women aged 18 and over aren't getting the recommended hours of physical activity. In addition, 71 per cent of Canadian boys aged 11 to 17 and 82 per cent of girls aren't meeting the minimum.

Similarly, a report from ParticipACTION earlier this month also gave Canada a "D" when it came to youth physical activity. Its report found that only 28 per cent of kids aged five to 17 were getting enough physical activity per week, while noting that most sport and recreational programs had been cancelled due to COVID-19 health measures.

Around the world, less than 40 per cent of countries have national physical activity policies that are operational. The WHO's assessment of Canada noted that the country does have comprehensive policies designed to boost physical activity, such as national guidelines and surveillance of physical activity, as well as a national physical activity policy.

However, the WHO says ensuring adequate physical activity includes developing environments that promote the walking, cycling and public transit over driving. The report found that Canada's street design standards fail to meet the best practices when it comes to ensuring pedestrian and cyclist safety. Canada, as well as 42 per cent of countries around the world, also lacks a national policy on walking and cycling.

"Low levels of best-practice legislation combined with an absence of road design standards presents increased risks to people walking and cycling in these local communities," the report said.

The WHO hopes to see a 15 per cent drop in physical inactivity by 2030 and says governments around the world need better data collection and monitoring of physical activity. The agency is also calling on countries to increase their advocacy on fitness and exercise and ensure their national policy commitments on physical activity are fully funded.