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Physical Activity Fact Sheet

Ø      Physical inactivity contributes to 300,000 preventable deaths in a year in the U.S.

Ø      Moderate daily physical activity can reduce substantially the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, such as colon cancer. 

Ø      Cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart attacks & strokes) is the number one killer of men and women in the United States.  Physically inactive people are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease as regularly active people.  The health risk posed by physical inactivity is almost as high as risk factors such as cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Ø      Nearly ½ of American adults (4 in 10) report that they are not active at all.  7 in 10 are not moderately active for the recommended 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week.

Ø      People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes (also known as adult-onset diabetes), coronary heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and some types of cancer.

Ø      The percentage of adults in the U.S. who were overweight or obese (body mass index greater than 25) in 1999 was 61%. 

Ø      The cost of overweight and obesity to the economy is $117 billion annually in direct and indirect medical costs.

Ø      The major barriers most people face when trying to increase physical activity are time, access to convenient facilities, and safe environments in which to be active (by the way, YOU may not use this as an excuse!)

Ø      According to a study done by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE), infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time except when sleeping.

Ø      One quarter of U.S. children spend 4 hours or more watching television daily.

taken from www.fitness.gov