The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an agency of the U.S. government that combats communicable diseases and conducts research in occupational safety and health education. The American College of Sports Medicine is an organization that promotes sports medicine and exercise science and that educates specialists in exercise and fitness. In the following viewpoint, a panel of experts assembled by these two organizations recommends that adults engage in thirty minutes of moderate physical activity (the equivalent of walking three to four miles per hour) every day. They contend that such exercise results in numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk for diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and colon cancer.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many deaths per year in...