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"In October 2008, the Federal Government issued its first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to provide science-based guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits for Americans. (2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans). The Guidelines state that ""Being physically active is one of the most important steps that Americans of all ages can take to improve their health."" It goes on to say that ""Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity daily"" AND ""...adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous intensity aerobic activity"". These conclusions were based, in part, on an expanded body of scientific literature that demonstrated the relationship between physical activity and health. Namely, physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. In the United States, a significant percentage of deaths from coronary heart disease, colon cancer, and Type 2 diabetes are attributable to sedentary lifestyle. Moderate-intensity activity is even beneficial to overall health because it contributes to improved glucose tolerance and blood lipid profile levels. The American College of Sports Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, recommend regular, moderate-intensity physical activity. The U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health reported that more than 60 percent of Americans do not engage in regular physical activity and that 25 percent do not engage in any activity. The report reaffirmed the importance of regular moderate or vigorous-intensity activity. Furthermore, physical activity data on children, particularly children in the 6-11 year age group are lacking. Proxy information on physical activity levels among youth are not useful because children spend large amounts of time away from home and they also engage in sporadic periods of activity that are difficult to document, let alone quantify. The results of the 2003-2006 NHANES PAM data have been analyzed and includes a minute-by-minute recording of the waking hours over 7 days in nearly 6,800 children, adolescents, and adults. The data suggested that 42 percent of children aged 6-11 years met the current 60 minutes per day recommendation, but only 8 percent of adolescents met this goal, and fewer than 5 percent of adults met the 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day."

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