Reduced physical activity due to global heating will lead to rise in health issues, study says By Chloé Farand Rising temperatures are making physical activity undesirable and even dangerous in manyparts of the world, and as global heating worsens, it will further affect how much people are ableto move. Researchers analysed data from 156 countries between 2000 and 2022 and modelled howrising temperatures may affect physical activity globally by 2050. They found that each additional month with an average temperature above 27.8 ºC wouldincrease physical inactivity by an average of 1.5 percentage points globally, with an even higherincrease of 1.85 points in low and middle-income countries. Physical inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certaincancers and mental health disorders, all of which shorten life expectancy, said the study’s leadauthor, Christian García-Witulski, a research fellow at the Lancet Countdown Latin America anda professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. Reduced physical activity is already a big global health problem and is responsible for anestimated 5% of all adult deaths, according to the study, which was published in the LancetGlobal Health journal. About a third of the world’s population fails to meet World HealthOrganization guidelines for weekly exercise. The study projects that the increase in physical inactivity could contribute to about half amillion additional premature deaths annually and $2.4bn – $3.68bn in productivity losses by2050. The biggest increases in inactivity are projected to be in hotter regions such as CentralAmerica, the Caribbean, eastern sub-Saharan Africa, and equatorial southeast Asia, whereinactivity could rise by more than four percentage points a month. “This is not just a climate story, it is also an inequality story. The places expected to facethe greatest increases in climate-driven inactivity are often the same places with fewer resourcesto adapt,” said García-Witulski. “In settings where people have less access to cooling, fewer safe indoor alternatives, andless flexibility in their daily schedules, heat appears more likely to translate into reduced physicalactivity.” The model also predicted a bigger increase in inactivity among women, which could reflectphysiological differences as well as social factors, such as less time and access to cool places forexercise, said García-Witulski. The findings are modelled projections based on self-reported activity surveys and don’taccount for other climate impacts such as extreme rainfall, flooding and tropical cyclones. The authors say the results show that physical activity should be treated as aclimate-sensitive public health issue, not just an individual lifestyle choice. “Staying active in a warming world depends not only on personal motivation, but also onurban design, infrastructure and access to reliable information. In practical terms,climate-resilient physical activity policies are those that help people remain active safely evenunder hotter conditions,” said García-Witulski. That includes designing cooler cities by expanding the tree cover and shade networks instreets and parks, providing affordable air-conditioned places to exercise, and giving clear adviceon how to stay safe in extreme heat, as well as ambitious emissions reductions.(Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/16/reduced-physical-activity-dueto-global-heating-rise-health-issues-study – text specially adapted for this test). Which of the following words is a synonym for “undesirable” (l. 01)?

Which of the following words is a synonym for “undesirabl...

Q4460447

Which of the following words is a synonym for “undesirable” (l. 01)?

Unwanted.

Unfavourable.

Harmful.

Inconvenient.