U.S. Wants Elderly to Be More Active
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ATLANTA — America is lagging in its efforts to persuade more elderly people to get a little exercise, the government said Thursday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that 36% of Americans 65 and older will lead sedentary lifestyles in 1997.
That would be a decline from the 1992 level of 38%, but far from the 22% goal officials set for the year 2000.
“We have a long way to go,” said Nell Brownstein, a CDC health education specialist. “We have all these modern, labor-saving devices, and we’re just not moving as much as we used to at work or at home.”
Older Americans can help avoid strokes, diabetes and other diseases by activities as simple as walking or gardening, she said.
The U.S. Public Health Service issued a set of health goals for the nation in 1990.
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