• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Senator proposes federal exercise guidelines

Senator proposes federal exercise guidelines

March 13, 2008 By admin

Health reports find Americans are becoming more sedentary and more sick, so Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is introducing a bill designed to nudge couch potatoes into getting in better shape.

 Harkin says his "Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans Act" directs federal health officials to prepare and promote new exercise guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. He says more than half of all Americans don’t get enough daily exercise to maintain proper health.

"What I hope to accomplish is to set up a guideline like dietary guidelines that we have right now and the Food Pyramid, which give you an indication of what you should be eating and consuming on a daily basis. Well, this is going to tell you what you ought to be doing physically," Harkin explains. Harkin says the legislation would set national exercise guidelines for Americans of all ages and ability levels. He says it could be similar to the federal nutritional guidelines, which are updated every five years.

Harkin says his goals are simple: "Hopefully to get people to start thinking about being more physically active. That’s really the bottom line, both age-related, younger people, middle age, older people." Harkin says many people just don’t know how much exercise they should be getting, so the guidelines will promote a healthier lifestyle and improve fitness among all age groups. He calls it a "step towards combating the obesity epidemic and the onslaught of chronic disease that is causing our health care costs to skyrocket."

Harkin says research shows the importance of physical activity in preventing disease and lowering death rates, adding, some 250,000 premature deaths every year can be attributed to lifestyles that lack physical activity.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Tom Harkin

Featured Stories

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

Morel mushroom hunters on hold without warmer conditions

Trinity Health aquiring all MercyOne health properties

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

T.J. Otzelberger announces staff changes at Iowa State

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC