Physical Health–Health Effects

Steps to a HealthierUS is a bold initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that advances President George W. Bush's HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives.

HealthierUS focuses on improving the physical health of people across the Nation by targeting four main areas—Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Prevention, and Making Healthier Choices.

Quick Facts

• Obesity is epidemic in the United States.
• In recent years, diabetes rates among people ages 30 to 39 rose by 70 percent.
• About 46.5 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes, even though this single behavior will result in disability and premature death for half of them.
• More than 60 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity, and more than 25 percent are not active at all.

Source: 
Executive Office of the President and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The articles below provide you with information and resources to help you make more informed decisions about your health and the health of your loved ones.

Nutrition—Eat a nutritious diet!
http://healthierus.gov/nutrition.html

Physical Fitness—Be physically active every day!
http://healthierus.gov/exercise.html

Prevention—Get preventative screenings!
http://healthierus.gov/prevention.html

Making Healthier Choices—Avoid risky behaviors!
http://healthierus.gov/behaviors.html

For more information about the President's HealthierUS initiative, visithttp://healthierus.gov.

For more information on general health using MEDLINEplus, visithttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus.