Couch potato lifestyle a risk factor for heart disease in South Africa

Authored by Prof Krisela Steyn from UCT Department of Medicine, the report stated that there is very strong evidence that a sedentary lifestyle causes heart disease and its risk factors (overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal blood fats like high blood cholesterol).

Statistics derived in 2003 show that 62% of men and 48% of women 15 years or older had a sedentary lifestyle – meaning a lifestyle with minimal physical activity and no health benefits due to the lack of regular physical activity. South Africans are spending too much time in front of the television or computer screen and not enough time exercising – in the gym, on the sports field or even walking the dog.

An even more frightening statistic contained in this research was that 33% of adolescent boys and 42% of girls also had sedentary lifestyles, with 22% of boys and 27% of girls watching more than three hours of TV a day. While it is understandable that people ‘slow down' as they get older, this begs the question: what will happen to these youngsters by the time they hit 40?

This research also showed that in South Africans 30 years and older, it is estimated that 3% of men's and 4% of women's deaths can be attributed to lack of physical activity, which means 20 men and 26 women per day died due to lack of physical activity in SA in 2000.

Using various report data, this latest report showed that active populations had about half the amount of heart attacks and related illnesses than populations such as ours.

According to to Shân Biesman-Simons, Director of Nutrition and Education of the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, “The heart is a muscle and needs exercise to stay fit and healthy. Inactive people have twice the risk of suffering a heart attack and 3 times the chance of dying immediately after such an attack than those who exercise regularly. Exercise is crucial in the fight against heart disease. Start slowly and build up, as your heart gets stronger.”

At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days will change people's lives. Moderate exercise meaning swimming, brisk walking, dancing.