Technology has made us lazy - A sedentary life

The latest WHO report on world health makes for depressing reading. It reveals that physical activity has been engineered out of life, with desk-based jobs replacing physical labour, lifts replacing stairs, and cars replacing active travel.

Many people may see such technological advances as part of the wonders of the 21st century, but they have their downsides.

The result of such a sedentary lifestyle is that one third of women and a quarter of men worldwide face killer conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, unless they increase their physical activity.

The data, published in the journal Lancet, found that more than a quarter of adults take no exercise at all, with the

highest percentage of lazy-bones among those living in high income countries like Ireland.

It is of particular concern to the Irish Cancer Society, who assert that regular physical activity protects against recurrence of some types of cancer and development of other types.

The WHO report is a wake-up call to all of us to stay healthy by getting more exercise.