World Health Organization (WHO) has published the fifth milestone report on progress towards global trans fat elimination, covering the period from 2018–2023.In another development, a study was published in the Lancet Global Health journal that indicates almost 50% of adults in India engaged in insufficient levels of physical activity in 2022.
Key Highlights of the WHO Report on Trans Fat
- Industrially produced TFA is identified as a major contributor to heart disease. TFA offers no nutritional benefits and is detrimental to public health.
- In 2018, WHO set a target to eliminate TFA from the global food supply by the end of 2023. Even though the target has not been fully met, there has been remarkable progress made and sustained elimination would be achieved by 2025.
- By 2023, WHO’s REPLACE action framework facilitated widespread adoption of best-practice policies in 53 countries, impacting 3.7 billion people, a substantial increase from 6% coverage five years earlier.
- WHO initiated a Validation Programme to recognise countries achieving TFA elimination goals. Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand were the first to receive the TFA Validation Certificate.
- WHO recommends all countries enact and enforce best-practice policies, engage in the Validation Programme, and encourage companies to reformulate products to eliminate TFA globally.
- Implementing best practice policies in just eight additional countries, (including Azerbaijan and China) would eliminate 90% of the global TFA burden.
Highlights of the Lancet Paper on Insufficient Physical Activity
- The definition of insufficient physical activity is not performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.
- Globally, about a third (31.3%) of adults were insufficiently physically active in 2022, up from 26.4% in 2010.
- South Asia ranks second highest globally in terms of insufficient physical activity among adults, following the high-income Asia Pacific region.in India, 57% of women were found to be insufficiently physically active, compared to 42% of men.
- Projections indicate that by 2030, 60% of Indian adults could be insufficiently active if current trends persist.
- Physical inactivity increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Rising physical inactivity, along with sedentary lifestyles, contributes to the increasing prevalence of these diseases and burdens healthcare systems.