[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE CALL TO ACTION FOR WALKING AND WALKABLE COMMUNITIES

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 22, 2015

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the United States 
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's Step It Up! call to action to promote 
walking and walkable communities.
  Walking is a simple and effective way to increase physical activity 
in the lives of everyday Americans, and it can help significantly 
reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. An average of just 22 
minutes a day of physical activity can significantly mitigate many 
potential long term health issues. Fewer than half of all U.S. adults, 
and only a quarter of high school students, get enough physical 
activity to reduce their risk of chronic diseases associated with an 
inactive lifestyle.
  The U.S. Department of Transportation has found that three out of 
every ten Americans do not have access to sidewalks along streets in 
their neighborhood. I am here today to support the Surgeon General's 
call on local leaders, law enforcement, and public health managers to 
create safe sidewalks, curbs, and crosswalks within local communities. 
We need to step up as a country to ensure that citizens can walk within 
their own communities and feel safe when they do. This call to action 
both encourages a shared sense of community among residents and is an 
effective way to mitigate many of our nation's health care concerns and 
costs.
  As the co-chair of the Fitness Caucus, the Youth Sports Caucus, and 
the Taskforce on Childhood Obesity, I am proud to support the Surgeon 
General in his call to action for walking and walkable communities.

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