How physically active should I be? New Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

Background:

Participation in physical activity is beneficial for the prevention of many chronic diseases. As such, many public health and clinical organizations put forth recommendations on the amount of physical activity needed to promote health and prevent disease. The federal government's physical activity guideline is currently embedded within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and, therefore, may not be fully identifiable by the public. Development of an evidence-based, physical activity-focused document, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, will provide the U.S. with a physical activity recommendation that may be more identifiable and, hence, achievable by the public.

Purpose:

This presentation will highlight the processes used to develop the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and will present the Guidelines themselves.

Methods:

The Guidelines process was initiated by assembling a 13-member Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) to review the scientific literature on physical activity and health to produce a report for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The FAC report forms the foundation for a policy document that translates the scientific information from the FAC report into Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Results:

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are anticipated to be released in October, 2008. This policy document will address the optimal dose of physical activity needed for chronic disease prevention for youth, adults, and older adults.

Conclusion:

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will provide the U.S. with the first-ever, physical-activity focused federal document on the recommended amounts of physical activity needed for health promotion and disease prevention.