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| Facts About Physical Activity in Michigan |
Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful preventive health behaviors.
Research shows that people who are physically active are less likely to develop
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colon cancer, osteoporosis and obesity. Despite
the recognized value of physical activity, the majority of adults do not get enough
to meet even the modest recommendation. The widespread lack of regular physical
activity by Michigan residents is partly due to environments where physical activity
has been largely removed from our lives.
These facts may be useful in developing a
plan to assess and increase physical activity in your community:
- Technologies such as escalators and riding lawn mowers,
and increasingly sedentary jobs, require less physical activity. 1
- The increasing amount of time we spend in our automobiles
is a primary factor leading to inactivity. 1
- One out of every four trips is short (one mile or less)
and yet 75% of the time this trip is by automobile. 1
- In 20 years, foot travel has dropped 42% for adults.
1
- Children are less active in today's world, where television,
computer games, and concerns about safety limit spontaneous play. 1
- Walking and biking trips to school have dropped 40%
over the past 20 years. 1
- 24% of Michigan adults reported no leisure-time physical
activity at all. 1
- 53% of Michigan residents reported to have less than
30 minutes a day of leisure time physical activity five or more days
a week. 1
- People who are physically active are less likely to
develop cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity and
osteoporosis. 1
- Physical inactivity generated medical-care, insurance
and lost productivity costs of nearly $8.9 billion in 2002 or $1,175
for each adult resident. 2
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As a result of these changes, Michigan residents, both adults and children, have
experienced an increase in rates of obesity and diabetes. These increases have
caused an increase in healthcare expenditures, costs to employers and person-years
of life loss.
Fact Sources:
1. Michigan Surgeon General's Health Status Report: Healthy Michigan 2010.
April, 2004.
http://michigan.gov/documents/Healthy_Michigan_2010_1_88117_7.pdf 2. Michigan
Surgeon General's Health Status Report: Healthy Michigan 2010. Executive Summary.
April, 2004.
http://michigan.gov/documents/Executive_Summary__2_88116_7.pdf
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