Physical Inactivity can cause many medical problems / death????

[Bev95]

I recently read an article that physical inactivity kills around 5 million people a year...hmmm well I was rather concerned about this because I suffer from FMS/CFS plus I have a heart condition..I noted that they were referring to young adults but what concerns me most about articles like this is that for people like myself who suffer from chronic pain any physical activity is almost impossible or at worse so painful it becomes extremely difficult. I wonder if these so called experts take into consideration individuals who suffer from chronic pain or have a severe medical health problem are unable to be as active as those individuals who are perfectly able bodied?? Where do they get their statistics from and what proportionate of the population do they get theses figures from? I see they mention the word 'world' and I am taking this is directed to the populations in the western world. However, this article was picked up by the media and broadcast on TV..It is articles like these that really anger me as all it does is highlight or imply that because you are inactive any medical health illness, or disability is down to being inactive!This sort of publicity does not help FMS suffers or anyone who genuinely has a chronic medical health problem that really was not down to being inactive...I was once a very active person until I was struck down by this horrible condition...but do people want to beleive that...I doubt it and so therefore you are judged as being a 'couch potatoe' because you cant partake in lots of physical activities! I dont know if anyone else feels the same...but a lot of people dont realise how life is for people who suffer from chronic pain and even the simple tasks that 'normal' people take for granted are difficult for people like myself! I hate being judged as someone being lazy...when in actual fact it is far from that...!

[JoJo32]

It was on the news last night about not enough people werent doing excerise and it is now the same as smoking!!!!!!

Jo x

[julieevh]

The way I look at it is if you were active back in the days when you were well you have done your bit and scored some brownie points then.

We are not lazy, if anything it seems to me Fibro/CFS/ME sufferers had an element of burn out because they were sooo active prior to the condition taking over.

Julie x

[JoJo32 in reply to julieevh]

I like your thinking Julie.

Jo xx

[Bev95]

Yes I know I saw it and not long after one of my daughters made a comment saying that I should try and be more active....!!! I was not amused and told her quite firmly that under normal circumstances that would be ok but had she forgotten that I suffered from chronic pain and each day presents its problems...! I also asked her how severely disabled individuals manage in wheelchairs..she then mentioned those in the para-olympics..I tried to point out that they were exceptional individuals and good for them...but everyone is different with different levels of disabilities and abilities that present their own everyday difficulties..and she couldnt possibly know what it is like to live with chronic pain and try to carry out simple household tasks that for her would be fine but for someone who is in so much pain it isnt that easy! I then quoted her the old saying ..'“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes" Meaning before you criticize or judge a person first feel what it is like to be that person...and feel the pain....! I think I got my point across!!!

Bev

[Hidden]

I wonder how many of those 5 million people ate a healthy diet and generally looked after themselves and were only inactive because of a health condition which limited their activity. The trouble with statistics like these is that they don't actually tell the whole truth. They make it sound like 5 million people are lazy and don't do anything, when in actual fact a large percentage of those people would kill to be able to go jogging or do some aquarobics etc.

I agree with you Bev, people are too quick to jump and say we are lazy, it's very unfair. With an invisible illness, our symptoms are not always easily detectable.