Lack of Exercise May Cause Twice as Many Deaths as Obesity

A lack of exercise may actually be responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity. And scientists have discovered that even with just a modest increase in physical activity, people can reap significant health benefits.

Physical inactivity has long been associated with an increased risk of early death. In addition, it's been associated with a great risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancer. In this case, though, the researchers decided to measure the link between physical inactivity and premature death.

In order to accomplish this goal, the scientists analyzed data from 334,161 men and women across Europe participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Over 12 years, the researchers measured height, weight, waist circumference and used self-assessment to measure levels of physical activity.

The researchers found that the greatest reduction in risk of premature death occurred in the comparison between inactive and moderately inactive groups. In fact, the researchers estimated that doing exercise equivalent to just a 20 minute brisk walk each day would take an individual from the inactive to moderately active group and reduce their risk of premature death by between 16 to 30 percent.

"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," said Ulf Ekelund, one of the researchers, in a news release. "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."

The findings reveal the importance of exercise when it comes to maintaining your health. By upping your exercise just a little each day, you can reduce your risk of death.

The findings are published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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