Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for a Healthier Nation

Burden of Physical Inactivity and Poor Nutrition

• Overall Magnitude
  
  
• Economic and Social Costs
  
  
• Disparities
  
  

Overall Magnitude
The importance of proper nutrition and physical activity in reducing rates of disease and death from chronic diseases has been well established. ^1,2,3 Poor diet and physical inactivity cause 310,000 to 580,000 deaths per year and are major contributors to disabilities that result from diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, and stroke. The results of one study showed that 14% of all U.S. deaths in 1990 could be attributed to poor diet and activity patterns,¹ and another study linked sedentary lifestyles to 23% of chronic disease-related deaths in the United States in 1986.²

According to Healthy People 2010,⁴ about 75% of Americans do not eat enough fruit, more than half do not eat enough vegetables, and 64% consume too much saturated fat. The diets of many population subgroups contain too much total fat, saturated fat, and calories but not enough of other important elements such as calcium. Low fruit and vegetable consumption and high saturated fat intake are associated with coronary heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes.^4,5,6

Breast milk is acknowledged to be the most complete source of nutrition for infants and offers many benefits for mothers and babies. According to the HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding, breastfeeding reduces the incidence or severity of childhood infections and chronic diseases such as type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood cancers.⁷ Additional evidence suggests that breastfeeding may help prevent childhood obesity.⁸ Despite recognition by the American Academy of Pediatrics that breastfeeding is the ideal method of infant feeding,⁹ only 64% of all mothers in the United States initiate breastfeeding, and only 29% continue to breastfeed their infants for 6 months after birth.⁴

Regular physical activity is essential for a healthy life.³ Physically inactive people are almost twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease as people who engage in regular physical activity.³ Thus physical inactivity poses almost as much risk for heart disease as cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, or a high cholesterol level, but is more prevalent than any of these other risk factors.¹⁰ People with other risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as obesity and hypertension, may particularly benefit from physical activity.³ It also helps older adults remain independent and enhances the quality of life for people of all ages.

Obesity or overweight status is defined by body mass index (BMI), which is derived by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. From 1991-2000, the prevalence of obesity (defined as BMI > 30 kg/m ²) among adults increased nationally, in every state, and in all segments of the population.^{11, 12, 13, 14} Obesity leads to numerous health problems, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and some cancers (e.g., endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers). Because obesity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases, the economic and social consequences of this obesity epidemic could be overwhelming.¹⁵ While many factors have contributed to the obesity epidemic, prevention efforts should focus on helping people reduce their calorie intake and increase their physical activity. The prevalence of obesity is increasing more rapidly among children than among adults. Because a growing body of evidence suggests that breastfeeding offers protection against excessive weight gain in childhood and adolescence,¹⁵ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocates breastfeeding as a reasonable strategy for reducing children's risk of becoming overweight.

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Economic and Social Costs
The economic burden of poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity is substantial. All are significant risk factors for developing coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke, and diabetes, conditions that involve considerable medical expense as well as lost work time, disability, and premature death. In one study, the direct medical cost for diet-related manifestations of these four conditions was estimated at $33.6 billion (in 1995 dollars), and the total cost, including lost productivity because of illness and premature death, was estimated to be $70.9 billion.¹⁶ In another study based on 1987 medical expenditure data, researchers estimated that if the more than 88 million inactive Americans over the age of 15 began engaging in regular moderate physical activity, annual national medical costs could be reduced by as much as $76.6 billion in 2000 dollars.¹⁷ The medical costs associated with obesity are even higher: an estimated $100 billion annually based on 1995 data.¹⁸ Taken together, inactivity and obesity accounted for 9.4% of the 1995 health care expenditures in the United States.¹⁸ In addition to these economic costs, immeasurable costs due to social and emotional problems, both for those affected and for their friends and families, may result from inactivity- and obesity-related diseases.¹⁹

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Disparities
The problems associated with poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity affect most population segments; however, there are marked disparities in the impact that these problems have on various groups of people, particularly by race/ethnicity and by education level. Data from Healthy People 2010 ⁴ indicate that physical inactivity, vegetable intake, breastfeeding, and weight status vary by race/ethnicity, sex, educational level, and age (Table 1).

Table 1. Percentages of U.S. Adults in Various Physical Activity or Nutritional Categories, Overall and by Select Sociodemographic Characteristics

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