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"This Sunday, after brunch, go for a walk with your mother, grandmother and the rest of your family," Secretary Thompson said. "And then together pledge to walk and stay active throughout the year. Families literally can walk down the path to better health."

To highlight the health benefits of physical activity, especially for older Americans, Secretary Thompson today will lead senior citizens on a half-hour walk around the National Mall in Washington. Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell and representatives of national aging organizations will also participate in the walk, which is part of HHS' May activities for Older Americans Month, National Osteoporosis Prevention Month and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

Researchers have found that people of all ages can benefit from being active and that staying physically active can help prevent certain diseases and disabilities as people age. Nationally, lack of physical activity contributes to an estimated 300,000 preventable deaths each year from diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by loss of bone density and quality, leading to increased risk of fracture. About half of all women and one in eight men will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis during their lifetime. Walking, jogging and other weight-bearing exercise helps keep bones strong and also improves balance and muscle strength, which are important in avoiding falls and fractures.

"It is never too late to start exercising and eating properly," Assistant Secretary Carbonell said. "We all need to incorporate regular exercise and physical activity into our daily schedules so that we can live long, healthy and productive lives."

As part of today's event, HHS also distributed a free guide on exercise for older Americans developed by the National Institute on Aging at HHS' National Institutes of Health. The guide includes tips for older Americans on appropriate activities that can help prevent disease and disability and improve their health. Copies of the guide are available in English and Spanish and can be obtained at www.nia.nih.gov/exercisebook/ or by calling 1-800-222-2225.

Today's walk is part of HHS' ongoing efforts to highlight disease prevention as the primary way that Americans of all ages can improve their health and personal well-being while reducing health care costs. Secretary Thompson has made disease prevention and health promotion a top priority, and the President's budget for fiscal year 2003 proposes a $20 million new pilot program "Healthy Communities," to help deliver community-wide prevention support. In addition, under the President's budget, HHS would spend more than $16 billion for all disease prevention activities.

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