Published: April 02, 2008 12:43 pm            

President Bush discusses National President's Challenge

Deadline to sign up is April 3

Submitted by the North Georgia Health District



President Bush:

“America's young people are three times more likely to be overweight than they were three decades ago. Lack of physical fitness places a huge financial burden on our nation. Diseases linked to unhealthy habits drive up the price of health care for all Americans. So we're encouraging Americans to take personal responsibility for their own health. And one way we're doing so is through the Healthier U.S. Initiative. Now this is an initiative I announced in 2002. And the program had four key components.

"First, be physically active every day. People say, 'I don't have time to be physically active every day.' Well, my suggestion is, make time. Secondly, eat well. Thirdly, get preventive screenings. And fourthly, don't do stupid things to your body -- like drugs and tobacco and excessive alcohol.

"Today, we're unveiling a new way to encourage people across the United States to boost their physical activity, and to have some fun doing it. It's called the National President's Challenge. So here's how it works. First, you can go online at www.presidentschallenge.org and you can sign up to participate. You can sign up as an individual, or you can sign up as a group. This would be kind of a fun way to work out together. The deadline, by the way, for signing up is April the 3rd. So get on your Web page there, and sign up.

"Secondly, you get to decide how you're going to meet your physical fitness goal. In other words, you set a goal, and then you pick the exercise or activity. And there's about a hundred different activities to choose from, ranging from gardening or skydiving. So I suspect my father will be signing up for skydiving. Mother wants him to sign up for gardening.

"Thirdly, start exercising. If you're an adult, then that means 30 minutes of activity a day, five days a week. Or if you're a kid, 60 minutes. It's just not that hard to do if you prioritize and discipline yourself. You've got six weeks of activity to meet the challenge -- in other words, this ends on May the 15th.

"Fourth, you keep track of your activities. On the Web site there's an activity log that will help make it easier to track whether or not you're accumulating enough points to get an award.

"And that's the fifth step. Individuals who meet their fitness goals can receive certificates and medals. Schools that meet their goals will be honored. And when you register, be sure to include the state you're from, because all of us here ... will be watching to see which state has the highest percentage of participants. And of course there will be proper recognition for the state that does the best. I suspect Texas will do very well. I certainly hope so.

"I want to thank the members of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for leading the effort. I really appreciate your care about the country. I want to thank you for thinking innovatively about how to encourage our fellow citizens to become active. I wish my citizens the best as they sign up for this exciting new challenge. Have good exercise, have fun, and remember, you'll have a healthy tomorrow when you do so. God bless.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.