National and global goals are outlined by experts in a new report published in Circulation to help people live healthier for longer. "We believe every person should enjoy health and well-being no matter their age, gender, race, or even the zip code in which they live. And we know disparities exist even to that level -- from one block of a city to another," says John Warner, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center and senior author on the report.
‘Environments where we live, work, learn, and play should support healthy behaviors. Public education also aids to pick up healthy choices.’
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According to the report, the trend toward cardiovascular health around the U.S. has been generally positive, with adults getting more active and people eating healthier, smoking less, and better controlling their cholesterol.
However, some areas continue to worsen: Nearly 40 percent of adults and 18.5 percent of youth in the U.S. are now obese; only 26 percent of U.S. youth meet the national recommendations of an hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity; and between 1990 and 2017 diabetes prevalence in the U.S. increased 129.7 percent for men and 120.9 percent for women.
"To improve individual health, we must make the environments where we live, work, learn, and play equitably supportive of healthy behaviors. We also need to help people better understand the impact their communities have in driving choices for health and well-being," Warner says.
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