WHO finds one in four teens had no active day

One in four young people aged 11 to 17 worldwide had no day in a week with at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, according to World Health Organization estimates for 2025 reported by BR.

The WHO analysis drew on 389 surveys from 140 countries and territories, covering more than 3.2 million adolescents. On average, young people were active for at least an hour on 2.7 days a week, and only 14 percent met that threshold every day. The measure includes sport and everyday movement, such as activity at school. The WHO cited academic pressure, heavy use of digital media and a lack of sports facilities as possible reasons for low activity.

Thomas Niethammer, a senior physician and orthopaedic specialist at LMU Klinikum Großhadern, said movement during childhood helps shape joints, muscles, tendons and bones. Children’s joints are initially soft and cartilaginous, he said, and insufficient movement can hinder their development. Bones also grow stronger when they are adequately loaded during childhood and adolescence. Bone strength typically peaks between about 20 and 30 years of age before declining, he said.

Niethammer warned that inactivity can contribute to a cycle of weight gain and less movement. He said this may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems or diabetes at a younger age, while excessive strain can contribute to osteoarthritis in the joints.

Children do not need to take up competitive sport, Niethammer said. The key is to make movement part of everyday life and help them find an activity they enjoy. At SV Waldeck, a football club in Munich’s Obermenzing district, children train several times a week. Coach Volker Rüdiger said the club has 430 young players who enjoy coming out in all kinds of weather.