Physical Inactivity as a Health Damaging Behavior

Running head: PHYSICAL INACTIVITY

Physical Inactivity as a Health-Damaging Behavior

Jennifer Davis

Kaplan University

Introduction

There are very few behavior choices that will impact a person’s health as much as whether or not they engage in regular physical activity. According to the World Health Report 2002, there are 1.9 million deaths each year that are caused by physical inactivity. Physical inactivity is the 7th most influential risk factor for other serious health conditions. Individuals who are not physically active and lead a sedentary lifestyle are far more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and obesity, which is a contributing factor for several other major health problems (CDC, 2011). “A recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, for example, reported that poor diet and physical inactivity caused 400, 000 deaths in the United States in 2000, accounting for 16.6% of all deaths…” (Edberg, 2007, p.11). There are recent statistics which indicate that in the United States, there are 97 million adults who are overweight or obese. Unfortunately, there is a vicious cycle where poor diet and not exercising leads to being overweight or obese, which can then lead to substantially higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and high cholesterol. (CDC, 2011; Vuori, 2004). On the other hand, engaging in regular physical activity can have dramatic health benefits, such as reducing the risk of developing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, as well as helping to controlling weight and keeping bones and muscles strong (CDC, 2011). Current literature is virtually unanimous in presenting evidence to the public that not engaging in physical activity can be extremely detrimental to your health over the course of a lifetime, whereas regular physical activity is always a good thing and will have many long-lasting health benefits.

Health-Damaging Effects...