Sedentary habits behind life-long lifestyle diseases: survey

‘Inactivity may diminish life expectancy, besides influencing ageing process’

That lifestyle diseases are prevalent more among those who follow a sedentary lifestyle than those who are physically active is a given. But their incidence is 62% and 9%, respectively, as per the results of a survey carried out in Palakkad and Malappuram districts, and could be some food for thought. The survey titled ‘Prevalence of lifestyle diseases: Comparison with respect to gender, locale, age and lifestyle’ was done by V. Nandya, an assistant professor with the Department of Physical Education, University of Calicut. The sample size was 200 people. Data collection was done between 2018 and 2019 from hospitals and other places. The study found that the prevalence of lifestyle diseases in urban areas was 37.14% compared to rural areas where it was 33.85%. “Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to ageing-related diseases, but also because it may influence the ageing process itself,” the survey quotes a report in the January 29, 2008 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine.