Nations on the move: international perspectives on active aging by Marilynn Larkin, MA

The world is in the midst of an “invisible epidemic” of chronic diseases, which are “by far” the leading cause of mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Aging, ill populations are a leading cause of poverty in many less developed countries, and costs related to aging and illness are skyrocketing in developed countries, as well. Much of this morbidity and mortality relates to lifestyle factors, including inactivity. Researchers have estimated that if all inactive adults in the United States became physically active, the potential cost savings in US healthcare expenditures would be $76.6 billion (in 2000 dollars).