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News Release

HHS SECRETARY TOMMY THOMPSON TAKES MESSAGE
OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVERSEAS
Power Walk Marks Child Health Day

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson participated in an hour-long power walk with schoolchildren and parents along the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, taking his message of regular physical activity and healthy behavior overseas to mark Child Health Day, Oct. 7, 2002.

Accompanying him on the walk was U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Goodman Brinker, Hungarian Minister of Health Judit Csehak and Prime Minister Peter M�dgyssey.

"Good health and wellness are a global public health message," Secretary Thompson said. "Today, our children are at greater risk than in previous years of developing chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, in large part because they aren't as physically active as they were a generation ago. It is alarming that obesity rates among children and adolescents in the U.S. have doubled in the past 20 years. The people of Hungary have similar health concerns. I want to show that regular, physical activity, which can reduce obesity, is as easy as taking a walk."

An HHS report released this summer found that 300,000 people die each year from diseases and health conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, nearly as many as who die from smoking. The 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.

Of particular concern is the increase in the percentage of young people who are overweight, and physically inactive:

• One-fourth of children in America spend four hours or more watching television daily and only 27 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 engage in moderate physical activity at least 30 minutes a day on five or more days of the week;
• Among children and teens ages 6 to 19, almost 9 million - or 15 percent - are overweight, triple the proportion in 1980;
• More than 10 percent of younger pre-school aged children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight, up from 7 percent in 1994; and
• Three-quarters of overweight and obese 9 to 13 year-olds do not change their habits and remain overweight and obese in adulthood.

In addition, many obese children and adolescents have impaired glucose tolerance, a condition that often appears before the development of type 2 diabetes, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

To help combat the prevalence of overweight and obesity in America's youth, Secretary Thompson launched the "VERB: It's What You Do" Youth Media Campaign in July 2002 to encourage 9-13 year olds to be physically active and engaged in their communities.

"We need a fresh approach to good health," Secretary Thompson said. "We need to make it fun and achievable, and stop the guilt-ridden lectures. We need to show both children and adults the enjoyable and doable steps they can take to better health. That's what VERB does - it lets kids decide what positive activity they want to do and encourages them to do it. This is such an important message for Child Health Day."

Secretary Thompson also encourages children and adults to follow the administration's HealthierUS Initiative, launched by President Bush and HHS in June 2002. The campaign focuses on improving overall health through regular physical activity, proper nutrition, preventive screenings, and healthy lifestyle choices.

Overall, the President's fiscal year 2003 budget for HHS provides more than $16 billion for disease prevention programs and research for children and adults.

For more information on the HealthierUS Initiative, and for information on children's health, visit www.healthierus.gov and www.childrenshealth.gov.

Secretary Thompson takes a break with children and families after taking a power walk through Budapest, Hungary, in observance of Child Health Day. Pictured with the Secretary are (l. to r.) Mihaly Kokeny, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Brinker, Secretary Thompson, and Gaza Jeszensky.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: October 04, 2002