The real lifesavers Proper Nutrition and Physical Activity…

Hey you! Reduce Your Risk! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… You can reduce your risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke just by making healthy nutrition choices and staying physically ACTIVE!

Oh Yeah… Prove It! Overweight and obesity, influenced by physical inactivity and poor diet, are significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status. Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. CDC, 2008

Or, how about this… Healthy eating is associated with reduced risk for many diseases, including the three leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. USDHHS, 2001

More of the Facts… More than 90 million Americans live with chronic illnesses. Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the United States. Poor diet and physical inactivity lead to 300,000 deaths each year—second only to tobacco use. CDC

Want more? People who are overweight or obese increase their risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis-related disabilities, and some cancers. Not getting an adequate amount of exercise is associated with needing more medication, visiting a physician more often, and being hospitalized more. The direct medical costs associated with physical inactivity was nearly $76 billion in CDC

Across the country … (CDC, 2008)

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance (2005)

CDC And yet, there’s more… No more than 25% of total calories consumed should come from added sugars such as those found in candy, soft drinks, fruit drinks, and pastries. People who eat lots of whole grains have less heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

TotalMaleFemale 9th10th11th12thBlack*Hispanic/ Latino White* North Carolina High School Survey Percentage of students who attended physical education (PE) classes on one or more days in an average week when they were in school QN83 - Weighted Data *Non-Hispanic.

TotalMaleFemale 9th10th11th12thBlack*Hispanic/ Latino White* North Carolina High School Survey Percentage of students who were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on five or more of the past seven days QN80 - Weighted Data *Non-Hispanic.

Are you kidding me?

“The function of protecting and developing health must rank even above that of restoring it when it is impaired.” -Hippocrates Some Wise words to follow…