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Fact Sheet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan 13, 2006 |
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
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PROMOTING HEALTH THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Overview Chronic diseases account for seven of every ten U.S. deaths and for more than 60 percent of medical
care expenditures. In addition, the prolonged illness and disability associated with many chronic diseases decrease
quality of life for millions of Americans.
Much of the chronic disease burden is preventable. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating contribute to
obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which together are responsible for at least 300,000
deaths each year. Only tobacco use causes more preventable deaths in the United States. People who avoid
the behaviors that increase their risk for chronic diseases can expect to live healthier and longer lives.
Improving the health of Americans through physical activity and other prevention efforts is a priority of the
Department of Health and Human Services. Through programs and research at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the President�s Council on Physical Fitness and
Sports (PCPFS), and other HHS agencies, the Department is developing programs and initiatives that encourage
greater physical activity in families and communities.
Physical activity plays an essential role in promoting good health and preventing chronic diseases and is a
leading component of President Bush's Healthier US Initiative, launched June 20, 2002. (More information on the
initiative is available at www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/fitness/.)
Overall, the President's fiscal year 2003 budget for HHS provided more than $16 billion for disease prevention
programs and research.
BACKGROUND
Regular physical activity substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, the nation�s leading
cause of death, and decreases the risk of developing colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. It also
helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among the elderly; helps
to relieve the pain of arthritis; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; and is associated with fewer
hospitalizations, physician visits, and medications. Moreover, physical activity need not be strenuous to be
beneficial; people of all ages benefit from moderate physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking on
five or more days a week.
Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 60 percent of American adults do not get enough
physical activity to provide health benefits. More than 25 percent are not active at all in their leisure time.
Activity decreases with age and is less common among women than men and among those with lower income and
less education.
Insufficient physical activity is not limited to adults. More than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not
regularly engage in vigorous physical activity. Daily participation in high school physical education classes
dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 29 percent in 1999.
HHS PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT HEALTH PROMOTION
HHS supports a number of programs to promote better health for Americans of all ages through physical activity.
These programs were created to engage the public and community organizations in taking steps to promote and
encourage increased physical activity.
HealthierUS.gov. HHS works with the White House to sponsor this Web site, which supports the President's
Healthier US Initiative and is designed to be a source of credible, accurate information to help Americans
choose to live healthier lives. The four pillars of HealthierUS are as follows: 1) Be physically active every
day; 2) Eat a nutritious diet; 3) Get preventive screenings; 4) Make healthy choices/Avoid risky behaviors.
Healthy Communities Innovation Initiative. President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget included $20 million
for a new Healthy Communities Innovation Initiative, an effort to bring together community-wide resources to
help prevent diabetes, asthma and obesity. The initiative will fund demonstration projects in five communities
to enhance access to services, encourage positive behavioral changes and improve community health. Given the
relationship between physical inactivity and overweight and obesity, programs to increase physical activity
will likely play an integral role.
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS). The Office of the PCPFS has served as a
catalyst to promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities since 1956. The
Office of the PCPFS advises the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services about ways
to encourage Americans to adopt and maintain an active and fit lifestyle. The Office of the PCPFS offers a
motivational awards program, the President�s Challenge (www.presidentschallenge.org), to encourage physical
activity at home, at work, and in schools and communities. For more information, please visit www.fitness.gov .
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition. . The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has
established a collaborative national education program among four Institutes to provide practical tools
to communities and health professionals for parents and caregivers who want to assist children ages 8-13
achieve and maintain a healthy weight. We Can! is being implemented through community outreach, national
partnerships, and media messages. wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
I Can Do It! You Can Do It. The HHS Office on Disability and the Office of the PCPFS are collaborating
with fifty national organizations to promote physical activity and sound nutrition to six million American
children who have disabilities. www.hhs.gov/od/physicalfitness.html
Healthy People 2010. Healthy People 2010, a comprehensive set of objectives for the nation to meet by the
end of this decade, identifies the most significant preventable threats to health and establishes national
goals to reduce these threats. One of the Healthy People 2010 goals is improving Americans' health, fitness
and quality of life through daily physical activity with targets established both for adults and for
children. More information on Healthy People 2010 is available at www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Active Community Environments (ACEs) Initiative.Through this initiative, CDC works with partners to promote
the development of accessible recreation facilities, including more opportunities for walking and cycling.
Projects include:
- A partnership with the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program to
promote the development and use of neighborhood parks and recreation facilities.
- The development of a guidebook for public health practitioners to use in partnering with transportation
and city-planning organizations to promote walking, cycling and neighborhood recreation facilities.
- CDC's Kids Walk-to-School Program encourages children to walk to and from school in groups accompanied
by adults. Walking to school helps children be more physically active, practice safe pedestrian skills, and
learn about their environment.
- The GreenStyles Survey, developed by CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency, assesses the effects
of environmental, social and personal variables on walking and cycling.
More information is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/aces.htm.
You Can! Steps to Healthier Aging Campaign is a national campaign sponsored by the Administration on Aging.
You Can! - Steps to Healthier Aging Aging is part of the President's HealthierUS initiative,
which encourages Americans of every age to make healthier choices. The You Can! campaign is designed
to increase the number of older adults who are active and healthy by using a partnership approach to mobilize
communities. Together, we will create public awareness and make programs available to help older Americans
improve their nutrition and increase their physical activity. More than 2680 organizations have joined
the You Can! campaign. HHS partners
include CDC, NIA, and the President�s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. For more information
visit www.aoa.gov/youcan.
Evidence-Based Physical Activity Programs. The Administration on Aging (AoA) launched a new three year
grants program in 2003 and a public/private partnership to increase older people�s access to programs that
have proven to be effective in reducing their risk of disease, disability and injury that include local
projects that focus on physical activity. The partnership involves a variety of federal agencies and
private foundations that are coordinating their efforts to support the implementation of evidence-based
prevention programs at the community level through aging services provider organizations, such as senior
centers, nutrition programs and senior housing projects. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the John A.
Hartford Foundation and the Horizon Foundations are supporting the partnership. AoA has committed $6
million over 3 years to fund 13 local projects and a national resource center on prevention at the
National Council on the Aging (NCOA). The grants program will demonstrate how the results of research
from HHS�s National Institute on Aging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality and others can be effectively translated into practice at the community
level through aging service provider organizations. The program supports the HHS Secretary�s Steps to
a HealthierUS Initiative and AoA's Strategic Plan.
Hearts N' Parks This national, community-based program is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) at NIH and by the National Recreation and Park Association. It aims to reduce
the growing trend of obesity and the risk of coronary heart disease by encouraging Americans of all
ages to aim for a healthy weight, follow a heart-healthy eating plan and engage in regular physical
activity. Information on the three-year pilot program with 50 Magnet Centers is available at
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/obesity/hrt_n_pk/.
Other programs for Older Americans. HHS works with numerous partners to promote physical activity among
older adults. CDC, AoA, and the National Institute on Aging at NIH have collaborated with AARP, the
American College of Sports Medicine, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Society on Aging, the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Council on Aging to develop activities to increase physical
activity among older adults, including the release of the "National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity
among Adults Aged 50 and Older." Information on the blueprint is available at
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/lifestyles.pdf
National Bone Health Campaign. HHS' Office on Women's Health, CDC and the National Osteoporosis
Foundation launched the National Bone Health campaign to educate and encourage girls ages 9-12 years
to establish lifelong healthy habits, especially increased calcium consumption and physical activity,
that will help reduce their risk for osteoporosis later in life. Information is available at
www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones/.
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/lifestyles.pdf
Engaging the Health Care Sector CDC has worked with the health care sector to support and encourage
health care professionals in managed care and other health care settings to promote physical activity
among patients or health plan members. Efforts include conferences and physical activity assessment
and counseling tools that providers can use to encourage patients to be more active.
HHS SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH INTO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Surveillance activities related to physical activity are guided by the mission to understand and promote
physical activity to enhance health and quality of life, focusing on both youth and adults. Examples include:
Lower Direct Medical Costs Associated with Physical Inactivity This is the first study ever to examine
direct medical costs associated with various levels of physical activity by reviewing actual medical
expenditures. The study found that Americans 15 years and older who engaged in regular physical activity
-- at least 30 minutes of moderate or strenuous physical activity three or more times a week --
had average annual direct medical costs of $1,019 versus costs of $1,349 for those who were inactive.
World Health Organization (WHO)/CDC Collaborating Center on Physical Activity CDC's Division of Nutrition
and Physical Activity (DNPA) is designated as a WHO Collaborating Center on Physical Activity. In working
with WHO, priority areas include surveillance, economic and policy analysis, physical activity program
development, partnership development and collaboration, consensus and community guidelines and active
community environments.
World Health Organization (WHO)/CDC Collaborating Center on Physical Activity CDC's Division of Nutrition
and Physical Activity (DNPA) is designated as a WHO Collaborating Center on Physical Activity. In working with
WHO, priority areas include surveillance, economic and policy analysis, physical activity program development,
partnership development and collaboration, consensus and community guidelines and active community environments.
Active Community Environments (ACEs) - Policy and Environmental Interventions Through the ACEs initiative,
CDC conducts research into issues including the effects of community designs, government policies, individual
characteristics and environmental factors on physical activity levels.
Biannual Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) This survey provides data on physical activity behaviors of
high school students across the nation. These data are used to track Healthy People 2010 objectives related
to youth physical activity. The survey also collects data on television watching, self-reported height
and weight, and dieting behaviors.
School Health Policies and Programs Study Conducted in 1994 and 2000, this is the largest study of what
schools are doing to influence the health of their students. It includes detailed information on the quantity
of physical education required and the nature of physical education provided across the nation.
Healthy Youth Funding Database This online database provides information on federal, foundation and
state-specific funding sources for school health programs. The database is available at
www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/funding/index.htm
Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization Centers Through this program, NHLBI partners with community-based
organizations to form the basis of a network of groups implementing targeted heart health education strategies
to change local physician practices and patient behaviors. The organizations include a focus on physical
activity as a way of improving cardiovascular health. More information is available at
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/01-04-25.htm and
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/02-10-08.htm
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity This report outlines
strategies that communities can use in helping to address the health problems associated with overweight
and obesity, including requiring physical education at all school grades, providing more healthy food
options on school campuses, and providing safe and accessible recreational facilities for residents of
all ages. More information is available at www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/.
Physical Activity Evaluation Handbook This resource outlines the six basic steps of evaluating physical
activity programs for state and local agencies and community organizations and illustrates each step with
program examples. Appendices provide information about physical activity indicators, practical case studies
and additional evaluation resources. The handbook is available at
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/handbook/index.htm.
State-based Physical Activity Program Directory CDC has compiled this Web-based inventory of programs to
promote physical activity with the involvement of state departments of health for use as a resource by groups
also interested in promoting physical activity. It includes: information about program components, partners,
settings, target populations, evaluation and products, and a profile of each state's efforts to promote
physical activity. For more information, please visit apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DNPAProg
Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity CDC, NHLBI, the National Association for Sports and Physical
Education and the Office of the PCPFS along with other organizations and individual researchers partnered
with the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) to develop the Bright Futures
in Practice: Physical Activity Guide, which provides developmental guidelines on physical activity for
the periods of infancy through adolescence. More information is available at
www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity.
Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General This landmark 1996 report brought together the
results of decades of research on physical activity and health. Among its findings were that physical activity
need not be strenuous to produce benefits and that inactive people can improve their health by becoming
moderately active on a regular basis. The report is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/sgr.htm.
Physical Activity Recommendations from the Guide to Community Preventive Services The Guide to Community
Preventive Services provides recommendations that communities and health care systems can use to promote health
and prevent disease, injury, disability and premature death. The guidelines include specific recommendations
for how communities can encourage people to become more physically active. Information is available at
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/recommendations.htm.
Promoting Physical Activity: A Guide for Community Action CDC produced this guide as a resource for
professionals and volunteers who wish to promote physical activity in almost any setting -- a community, a
workplace, a school, a health care facility, an agency or a religious institution. Information on ordering
the guide is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/pahand.htm
Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People. These
guidelines identify strategies most likely to be effective in helping young people adopt and maintain a
physically active lifestyle. The guidelines were developed in collaboration with experts from other
federal agencies, state agencies, universities, voluntary organizations and professional associations.
More information is available at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/guidelines/index.htm
School Health Index for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Self-Assessment and Planning Guide This guide
enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of their physical activity and nutrition policies and
programs; develop an action plan for improving student health; and involve teachers, parents, students and
the community in improving school services. Information is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/SHI/index.htm
Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease This report pulls together data from various studies
and scientific sources to illustrate the correlation between inactivity and poor health, particularly the
onset of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. It is available at
www.aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/physicalactivity/.
the community in improving school services. Information is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/SHI/index.htm
Physical Activity and Older Americans: Benefits and Strategies This report compiles data illustrating benefits
and accessibility of physical activity for older Americans, finding that it is never too late to benefit from
becoming physically active. The report also provides strategies that individuals, clinicians and communities
can follow to foster greater activity among older Americans. It is available at: www.ahrq.gov/ppip/activity.htm.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: February 2, 2006
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