WFSGI and sporting goods companies react to WHO’s inactivity data

According to the WHO, 31 percent of adults are “inactive” and “not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity (just 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week).” This figure, it predicts, will at the current rate of change rise to 35 percent by 2030. It stood at 26 percent in 2010.

Data on adolescents is scheduled for release later this year, but 81 percent are less active than the WHO would like.

Women, meanwhile, are less active than men by 5 percentage points. The cost of treating “health conditions” that activity would prevent, the WHO further predicts, will exceed $300 billion by 2030.

-> “We Need to Tackle the Physical Activity Crisis by Harnessing the Power of Our Industry”: WFSGI CEO Emma Zwiebler discusses strategies for the sporting goods industry to combat declining physical activity levels.  

“The world,” says the WFSGI, “is off track to meet the WHO target of a 15% relative reduction in the global prevalence of physical inactivity in adults and adolescents by 2030.”

The parties backing the WFSGI initiative pledge to:

• “raise awareness of the crisis”
• “support people to lead more physically active lives”
• “leverage the power of major sporting events”
• “create partnerships within the business community and across sectors”

Among the signatories are Adidas, Amer Sports, Anta, Asics, Decathlon, Li-Ning, New Balance, Nike, On, Pentland, Puma, Shimano, Tecnica, Under Armour and Yonex.