A Majority of India’s Teens Are Unfit

by GoNews Desk 4 years ago Views 3611

A Majority of India’s Teens Are Unfit
According to a WHO report, 71% of boys and 76% of girls in the age-group of 11-16 years in India have been found to be physically inactive. The term ‘physically inactive’ means that they do not set aside even one hour daily for their health. 

In its report, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that across the world, more than 80% youth in the age group of 11-17 are physically-inactive. Among 85% of physically-inactive youth, 73.9% of youth in the age-group of 11-17 are in India.


WHO has prepared this report on 16 lakh youth in the age group of 11-17 from 146 nations. The WHO says that across the world, 85% of youth do not set aside even one hour daily for their health. In this, the number of girls is far higher than that of boys. Across the world, 85% of girls and 78% of boys are physically-inactive. 

In this report, after 2016, some awareness about their health has been seen among Indian boys aged 11-17 years. But no improvement was seen among Indian girls.

In the year 2001, 76.3% of girls were physically inactive while in 2016, 76.6% of girls were found to be physically inactive. In the year 2001, 76.6% of boys were physically inactive, while in 2016, 71.8% of boys were found to be physically inactive.

The author of this report, Dr Leanne Riley, says that in countries like India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, scant attention is paid to girls’ health from an early age. In these countries, girls play almost no outdoor games compared to boys. They spend the majority of their time doing household work, which has an impact on their mental and physical development.

This report mentions that among the reasons for youth being physically inactive are playing more mobile phone games, playing lesser outdoor games, lack of regular walking, lack of use of cycles among younger children, lack of priority to regular exercise and physical education in schools.

In its report, WHO has made some suggestions for youth to remain physically fit. Among these are organising regular programmes to raise awareness about physical inactivity in schools and cities. Through this, along with the youth, their parents can also be made aware about paying more attention to their health.

Watch the full report here:

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