Physical inactivity is known to increase the risk of many adverse health outcomes. These include the major non-communicable diseases emphasized by the UN as “threats to global health” in 2011: type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, breast cancer and colon cancer. A study has now shown that physical inactivity might be responsible for 6–10% of the burden of major non-communicable diseases and 9% of premature mortality. The researchers estimate that if physical inactivity were eliminated, life expectancy worldwide would increase by 0.68 years.