This first Surgeon General's report on physical
activity is being released on the eve of the
Centennial Olympic Games - the premiere event
showcasing the world's greatest athletes.
It is fitting that the games are being held
in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
lead federal agency in preparing this report.
The games' 100-year celebration also coincides
with the CDC's landmark 50th year and with
the 40th anniversary of the President's Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), the
CDC's partner in developing this report. Because
physical activity is a widely achievable means
to a healthier life, this report directly
supports the CDC's mission - to promote health
and quality of life by preventing and controlling
disease, injury, and disability. Also clear
is the link to the PCPFS; originally established
as part of a national campaign to help shape
up America's younger generation, the Council
continues today to promote physical activity,
fitness, and sports for Americans of all ages.
The Olympic Games represent the summit of
athletic achievement. The Paralympics, an
international competition that will occur
later this summer in Atlanta, represents the
peak of athletic accomplishment for athletes
with disabilities. Few of us will approach
these levels of performance in our own physical
endeavors. The good news in this report is
that we do not have to scale Olympian heights
to achieve significant health benefits. We
can improve the quality of our lives through
a lifelong practice of moderate amounts of
regular physical activity of moderate or vigorous
intensity. An active lifestyle is available
to all.
Many Americans may be surprised at the extent
and strength of the evidence linking physical
activity to numerous health improvements.
Most significantly, regular physical activity
greatly reduces the risk of dying from coronary
heart disease, the leading cause of death
in the United States. Physical activity also
reduces the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension,
and colon cancer; enhances mental health;
fosters healthy muscles, bones and joints;
and helps maintain function and preserve independence
in older adults.
The evidence about what helps people incorporate
physical activity into their lives is less
clear-cut. We do know that effective strategies
and policies have taken place in settings
as diverse as physical education classes in
schools, health promotion programs at worksites,
and one-on-one counseling by health care providers.
However, more needs to be learned about what
helps individuals change their physical activity
habits and how changes in community environments,
policies, and social norms might support that
process.
Support is greatly needed if physical activity
is to be increased in a society as technologically
advanced as ours. Most Americans today are
spared the burden of excessive physical labor.
Indeed, few occupations today require significant
physical activity, and most people use motorized
transportation to get to work and to perform
routine errands and tasks. Even leisure time
is increasingly filled with sedentary behaviors,
such as watching television, "surfing"
the Internet, and playing video games.
Increasing physical activity is a formidable
public health challenge that we must hasten
to meet. The stakes are high, and the potential
rewards are momentous: preventing premature
death, unnecessary illness, and disability;
controlling health care costs; and maintaining
a high quality of life into old age.
David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Philip R. Lee, M.D.
Assistant Secretary for Health
Florence Griffith Joyner
Tom McMillen
Co-Chairs
President's Council on Physical Fitness and
Sports