Women Lazier Than Men, Global Survey Finds

Men are more physically active. So why don't they have longer lives?

  • Share
  • Read Later
Getty Images

Women may have higher IQs and longer lives than men, but a new study shows that they are also lazier.

Lancet published a paper this week examining which countries have the most and least active citizens. The findings showed that 34 percent of women in 122 countries are inactive, as opposed to 28 percent of men.

Worldwide, 31.1 percent of adults rank as physically inactive, which is defined as less than 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week.

The scale of physical activity varies greatly from country to country. For example, only 4.7 percent of Bangladeshi citizens are rated as inactive, while Malta has the highest rate of inactivity: 72 percent of its residents.

Interestingly, the results correlate very little to data regarding national life expectancies, despite recent proof that prolonged sitting may shorten lifespans.

MORE: Lack of Exercise as Deadly as Smoking, Study Finds