8^th World Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference

Diet and Physical Health

There are many growing concerns about the burden of disease as a result of unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. A proportion of our world population takes too little exercise and many people’s diets are unbalanced with, too much fat, sugar and alcohol. This in turn contributes to high and rising levels of obesity and also an increase in avoidable illness and health inequality. Poor diet and physical inactivity causes 310,000 to 580,000 deaths per year and are major contributors to disabilities that result from diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, and stroke. Obesity is the major risk factor for several chronic diseases and illness, the economic and social consequences of this obesity epidemic could be overwhelming. While many factors have contributed to the obesity epidemic, prevention efforts should focus on helping people reduce their calorie intake and to increase their physical activity.