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Health Report Card

According to the National Center for Disease Control, more than 34 percent of American adults are obese. People who are overweight are at increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis-related disabilities and some cancers.

In Maryland, 25.4 percent of the population is obese; in West Virginia 29.5 percent is and in Washington D.C., that figure is at 21.8 percent.

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce risk and provides therapeutic benefits for people with heart attack, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure and may reduce the risk for stroke. It also reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Health care officials report that just 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week has proven to be beneficial.

In fact in some national studies of veterans, people who were "very highly fit," had 70 percent less risk of death compared to those in the low fit category.

But despite its benefits, the CDC estimates that more than 50 percent of adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits; and 25 percent are not active at all in their leisure time.

Chronic diseases come, in a large part, because of what people do or don't do. Health damaging behaviors - in particular tobacco use, lack of physical activity and poor nutrition are major contributors to heart disease and cancer, this nation's two leading killers.

Studies indicate that 80.7 million people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. More than 73 million are living with high blood pressure.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year more than 1.4 million Americans contracted cancer and a half a million people died from the disease.

National report cards on health issues indicate that the District of Columbia has a low rate of cancer deaths, a low prevalence of smoking and high immunization coverage, with 82.8 percent of children 19-34 months receiving complete immunizations. However, it also has high violent crime rates, a high percentage of children in poverty (29.2 percent) and high premature death rates. In the past five years, levels of air pollution in Washington decrease by 15 percent.

Maryland's health care strengths include ready access to primary care and high per capita public health funding at $126 per person.

In the past five years in Maryland, the percentage of children in poverty increased 53 percent. Since 1990, the rate of the uninsured population increased by 55 percent. African Americans in Maryland tend to suffer more from cardiovascular deaths than their white or Hispanic counterparts.

In West Virginia, there is a low prevalence of binge drinking and a low incidence of infectious disease. Its health challenges include a high prevalence of smoking at 26.9 percent of the population and many preventable hospitalizations.

Check list for health

Increase physical activity. Be active at least 2½ hours a week. Include activities that raise your breathing and heart rates and strengthen your muscles.

Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables

Drink more water.

Decrease television viewing.

Avoid smoking and breathing other people's smoke.

Schedule time into your calendar for fitness. Be faithful to those appointments.

Establish specific health goals. Make them specific, measurable and achievable.

Reduce portion sizes, especially when eating out.

Balance work, home and play.

Avoid fast food.

Stay positive. Relax.

Get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

Seek counseling, if needed, to help with issues that cause you stress.

Enlist your doctor's assistance in dealing with health problems and risks. Get screened for prostate and breast cancers.

Even though exercise is not always "fun," do it anyway. Few people regret it after getting started.

Find a partner to hold you accountable. Consider a personal or nutrition trainer.

Find the deeper reasons to be healthy. Make prayer a part of your regiment.

If our bodies are our temples, those temples are proving to be in disrepair.

According to the National Center for Disease Control, more than 34 percent of American adults are obese. People who are overweight are at increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis-related disabilities and some cancers.

In Maryland, 25.4 percent of the population is obese; in West Virginia 29.5 percent is obese, and in Washington, D.C., that figure is at 21.8 percent.

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce risk and provides therapeutic benefits for people with heart attacks, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure and may reduce the risk for stroke. It also reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Health care officials report that just 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week has proven to be beneficial.

In fact, in some national studies of veterans, people who were "very highly fit," had lowered their risk of dying by 70 percent.

But despite the benefits, the CDC estimates that more than 50 percent of adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits; and 25 percent are not active at all in their leisure time.

Chronic diseases come, in a large part, because of what people do or don't do. Health damaging behaviors - in particular tobacco use, lack of physical activity and poor nutrition, are major contributors to heart disease and cancer, this nation's two leading killers.

Studies indicate that 80.7 million people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. More than 73 million are living with high blood pressure.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year more than 1.4 million Americans contracted cancer and half a million people died from the disease.

National report cards on health issues indicate that the District of Columbia has a low rate of cancer deaths, a low prevalence of smoking and high immunization coverage, with 82.8 percent of children 19-34 months receiving complete immunizations. However, it also has high violent crime rates, a high percentage of children in poverty (29.2 percent) and high premature death rates. In the past five years, levels of air pollution in Washington decreased by 15 percent.

Maryland's health care strengths include ready access to primary care and high per capita public health funding at $126 per person.

In the past five years in Maryland, the percentage of children in poverty increased 53 percent. Since 1990, the rate of the uninsured population increased by 55 percent. African Americans in Maryland tend to suffer more from cardiovascular deaths than their white or Hispanic counterparts.

In West Virginia, there is a low prevalence of binge drinking and a low incidence of infectious disease. Its health challenges include a high prevalence of smoking at 26.9 percent of the population and many preventable hospitalizations.