Promoting regular physical activity and healthy eating and creating an environment that supports these behaviors are essential to addressing the problem.

Lack of Physical Activity

Regular physical activity reduces risk and provides therapeutic benefits for people with heart attack, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure and may reduce their risk for stroke. It also helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among older adults; 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. For example, adults of all ages benefit from moderate-intensity physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week.

Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 70% of U.S. adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits;40% are not active at all in their leisure time. Activity decreases with age, and sufficient activity is less common among women than men and among those with lower incomes and less education. About two-thirds of young people in grades 9-12 are not engaged in recommended levels of physical activity. Daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42% in 1991 to 33% in 2010.

The Critical Role of Good Nutrition

Research shows that good nutrition can help to lower people's risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis. However, a large gap remains between healthy dietary patterns and what Americans actually eat. In 2010, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults ate fruit two or more times a day, and 1 in 4 ate vegetables three or more times a day.

Good nutrition begins in infancy. Children who were not breastfed are at increased risk for overweight, asthma, and some childhood infections. Of concern for both children and adults, particularly in underdeveloped countries, is micronutrient malnutrition, which can negatively affect survival and growth for children, health and pregnancy outcomes for women, and resistance to illness for both.