Over 59 % residents in Bhubaneswar physically inactive: Study

More than 59 per cent of over one million residents in Bhubaneswar are physically inactive, while only 16 per cent of the population practise yoga, a recent study has revealed.

The research, funded by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), also said that less than one-third of the population walk for ten minutes a day.

"The physical activity pattern among the city residents has been found to be very poor with 59.2 per cent of the population reporting that they were not active and didn't have any intention of being more active in the future," the study, conducted by Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here, said.

According to World Health Organisation, physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for rapidly escalating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) with an increase in healthcare costs.

"Around 10 per cent of those interviewed said that they suffered from NCDs like diabetes, high-blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases," E Venkata Rao, who headed the first-of-its kind study in Odisha, said.

Physical inactivity has been found to be the fourth leading cause of global mortality, he said.

"NCDs account for nearly 50 per cent of all deaths in India though they are largely preventable if the risk factors involved in it are reigned in," Rao said, adding that rural communities have been found to be more physically active than their urban counterparts.