Figure 4.7: Prevalence of adolescents 11-17 years meeting physical activity recommendations, 2016
Regular physical activity has significant physical and mental health benefits for children and adolescents, including improved cardiometabolic health and cognitive function (WHO, 2020). Although evidence is limited, physical activity has also been associated with a lower risk of obesity in children and adolescents. The WHO recommends that adolescents should do at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily. Many countries that do, only Bangladesh reported that more than 30% of adolescents were meeting physical activity adulthood. An overview of national dietary patterns can be broadly shown by national population-level data for the consumption of food groups and items that are associated with overweight and obesity, such as sugar, salt and ultra-processed food and drink (UPFD). Where consumption data itself is not available, proxies such as sales per capita and food supply are often used to produce estimates instead. consumption is generally higher in Eastern Europe and the Western Pacific. Many countries do not report on UPFD consumption - only 79 countries provide data - but of those that do, annual consumption tends to be highest in