NEWS: Karnataka’s no-exercise rate up as desk jobs, sugar-heavy diet take a toll

HIGHLIGHTS

• Nearly 78% of young adults reported insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables
• Reasons for this shift include relentless work pressure, a reliance on junk food, and lifestyle changes inherent in nuclear families.
• A professor at Bengaluru-based Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), analysed the data in 2024-25 from the World Health Organisation-Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) India survey Wave-1 (2007–08) and Wave-2 (2015–16), which was conduct by him

KEY FINDINGS

• The survey paints a stark picture: physical inactivity among those aged 18–49 in Karnataka skyrocketed by over 2.5 times, from 17% to 43.5%.
• Nationally, non-physical activity nearly tripled.
• Analysis shows how modern work culture and lifestyle are making it harder for the core labour force to stay healthy
• Prolonged sitting at desk jobs causes skeletal muscle unloading. When muscles aren’t moving, they lose their ability to effectively pull glucose from the bloodstream, leading to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes as early as 20
• Diets are high in sodium and refined sugars, leading to hypertension and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
• As recent Lancet reports suggest nearly 50% of Indian adults are physically inactive, this study urges a shift toward personal health discipline.