WHO sounds alarm over lack of physical activity among teens

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — A quarter of teens globally engage in basically no physical activity — not even an hour of exercise a week — the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday, warning that this significantly raises health risks.

The WHO’s new global estimates found that when asked, one in four adolescents aged 11 to 17 report no active days — defined as at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity — in the previous week.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, draws on hundreds of population-based surveys from 140 countries and territories, involving more than 3.2 million teens, WHO said.