Overview

• The Lancet Public Health meta-analysis pooled device-based measurements from 57 studies involving over 160,000 adults
• Walking about 7,000 steps a day was linked to up to a 47% lower risk of death and significant reductions in dementia, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and cancer-related mortality compared to 2,000 steps
• Health benefits beyond roughly 7,000 daily steps showed only modest additional reductions in mortality and dementia, indicating diminishing returns
• The widely cited 10,000-step target originated from a 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign rather than empirical research
• National health bodies are now considering revising official guidelines to a 7,000-step target in recognition that step counts interact with diet quality and exercise intensity