Government
American adults need half hour a day of exercise, U.S. says
By Sue Mueller
Oct 7, 2008 - 12:49:16 PM

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  Tuesday October 7, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans saying that U.S. adults need to do half a hour of exercise per day whereas children should run and play at least one hour a day.

Studies showed moderate, yet regular exercise lowers the risk of a range of diseases including heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression and Alzheimer's disease.

A report from the CDC says that 25.6 percent of U.S. adults are obese and lack of exercise is one of the causes.

"More than 59 percent of adults don't get enough physical activity and a quarter of adults aren't active at all in their leisure time," Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt was quoted by Reuters as saying in a telephone interview.