Houston Department of Health and Human Services > Epidemiology and Disease Reporting > Epidemiology Corner > Be active, be healthy

Epidemiology Corner

March 26, 2004

Be active, be healthy

A recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has shown that roughly half of all deaths in the year 2000 were the result of modifiable behaviors or preventable exposures. The analysis was based upon mortality data in the United States during 2000 and used attributable risk calculations for nine different risk behaviors/exposures to estimate the number of deaths resulting from each behavior or exposure.

Specifically, the study showed that smoking and poor diet or physical inactivity, both of which are preventable, accounted for one third of all deaths. Furthermore, the study estimates that the number of deaths attributable to poor diet and physical inactivity have increased since 1990 and may soon overtake smoking as the leading contributor to preventable causes of death.

According to the CDC, physical activity “reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease and decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. 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.”

Even moderate exercise can have beneficial results. Increasing your physical activity can start as simply as extending the amount of time you spend walking each day. Here are a few simple tips to increase your daily physical activity:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Take your dog for longer walks
• Exercise while you watch TV (ex. use hand weights or do stretching exercises)
• Park your car further away from the entrance to the store or work
• Take five minute walking breaks instead of smoking or coffee breaks
• If you are waiting at the airport, walk around instead of sitting
• Spend time playing with children or pets each day

The CDC recommends that adults spend either at least 30 minutes a day five days a week in a moderate intensity physical activity or at least 20 minutes a day three times a week in a vigorous intensity physical activity. Examples of moderate activity include walking briskly, mowing the lawn or bicycling on level ground. Examples of vigorous activity include jogging, high impact aerobics or bicycling uphill. You should consult with a physician before starting a vigorous-intensity exercise plan. If you have a medical condition, such as history of cardiovascular disease or have experienced a major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, stroke or heart surgery you should also consult with a physician before starting even a moderate intensity exercise program.

For more information on the importance of physical exercise visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/index.htm. The study mentioned above can be found in the March 10, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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