    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [June 20, 2002]
    [Pages 1028-1030]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the White House Fitness Expo
    June 20, 2002

        Please be seated--except for those of you behind me. [Laughter]
    Welcome to the White House, and thanks for joining us as we launch a new
    national initiative designed to help the American people live longer,
    live healthier, and live better lives.
        Better health is an individual responsibility, and it is an
    important national goal. We're making great progress in preventing and
    detecting and treating many chronic diseases, and that's good for
    America. We're doing a better job with heart disease and cancer and
    diabetes. We're living longer than any generation in history. Yet we can
    still improve, and we can do more. And it's not all that difficult to
    do. When it comes to your health, even little steps can make a big
    difference.
        I really appreciate the First Lady for
    joining us. She is--she's a regular exerciser. I appreciate Tommy
    Thompson, the Secretary of the Department
    of Health and Human Services, for being here. Tommy told me the other
    day, even at his advanced age he's thinking about running a marathon.
    [Laughter] I appreciate very much Gale Norton, who's the Secretary of the Interior, for being here as
    well, Gale. Thank you both for coming.
        I want to thank all the athletes who are here, and physical fitness
    experts and Olympians and Paralympians and President's Council on
    Physical Fitness are joining us today. I'm honored you're here.
        This is an important message that we're sending to America. When
    America and Americans are healthier, our whole society benefits. And
    that's important to know. If you're interested in improving America, you
    can do so by taking care of your own body.
        This year, heart disease will cost our country at least $183
    billion. If just 10 percent of adults began walking regularly, we could
    save billions in dollars in costs related to heart disease. Research
    suggests that we can reduce cancer deaths in America by one-third simply
    by changing our diets and getting more exercise. The evidence is clear:
    A healthier America is a stronger America.
        And today I'm taking two actions to put a new emphasis on health and
    fitness in

    [[Page 1029]]

    America. First, I'm appointing the men and women you see behind me to
    the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. These are
    professional athletes, trainers, U.S. Olympians, executives from the
    public and private sector, and physicians. Lynn Swann, a friend and a football legend--not necessarily a friend
    to Cowboy fans, I might add--[laughter]--will be the Chairman of this
    Council. I named him Chairman because, after a discussion with him and
    with his friends, he is committed to using the platform that he now has
    to make America a healthier place by encouraging individual
    responsibility. I appreciate so very much his Vice Chairman, Dot
    Richardson, an Olympic gold medalist in
    softball and an orthopedic surgeon, for joining us as well.
        These fine Americans will serve as role models and will join me in
    working with Americans to encourage exercise and healthy choices in
    life. Together, we're going to educate our country. We can do so by
    adopting four guideposts in a new initiative called Healthier US. First,
    Americans should be physically active every day. Second, develop good
    eating habits. Third, take advantage of preventative screenings. And
    fourth, don't smoke, don't do drugs, and don't drink excessively. These
    four simple measures will help our country a lot by helping our fellow
    Americans a lot.
        First, let me talk about physical fitness. People ought to work out
    every day, one way or another. A report released today by the Department
    of Health and Human Services confirms that virtually all individuals can
    benefit from regular physical activity. Yet more than a third of our
    children, 9th through 12th grades, failed to exercise at least 20
    minutes a day, 3 times a week. More than a third of our children don't
    get an hour's worth of exercise a week. Secondly, 60 percent of American
    adults do not get enough exercise to improve their health.
        With this initiative, we propose simple solutions. How about just
    walking 30 minutes a day? That's pretty simple. It's easy to do. It will
    make you feel a lot better, by the way. How about parents just playing a
    game with children in their backyard for 30 minutes or an hour? It would
    be good for the child; it would be good for the parent; and it's good
    for the family.
        Regular hiking through a park can add years to a person's life. To
    honor that commitment, I want to thank Secretary Norton for waiving all entrance fees this weekend to national
    parks and Federal lands. If you're interested in doing something about
    your health, go to one of our parks and take a hike. [Laughter]
        Second, eat a nutritious diet. That means at least five fruits or
    vegetables a day. I've got a little work in my family. We've been
    working on the old--well, been working on ``Number 41'' to eat broccoli
    for all these years. [Laughter] But it's good advice. If you're
    interested in your health, cut out fatty foods; watch what you're
    eating. And by the way, when you eat better food, it will give you more
    energy for your 30-minute walk.
        Third, get preventative screenings. These are simple tests that can
    save your life. Screenings available through your doctor may tell you if
    you're prone to developing certain diseases, such as diabetes or cancer
    or heart disease. By acting on information, you can help prevent a
    potentially life-threatening illness.
        And fourth, cut out tobacco, drugs, and excessive drinking. Tobacco
    use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in
    America. Drug and alcohol abuse destroys our families and lives and
    hopes of our fellow Americans. Our message is clear: Avoiding tobacco,
    drugs, and excessive alcohol can save your life.
        This initiative is part of this administration's ongoing commitment
    to raising awareness about the benefits of exercise and healthy choices.
    Exercise is a part of my daily life. It kind of helps me deal with the
    stress a little better. After I get a good run in, I even like the press
    corps a lot

    [[Page 1030]]

    better. [Laughter] I don't know if they like me a lot better after my
    run. But I value exercise. It's an important part of a balanced life.
        I've urged the folks at work inside the White House to exercise on a
    daily basis. As an employer, I insist that they take time off, out of
    their daily grind, to get some exercise. I found them to be better able
    to communicate and happier on their job when they take some time, and it
    doesn't matter to me when they do it. They can do it any time of the
    day, so long as they get it done.
        Today I'm going to sign an Executive order directing Federal
    agencies to work together to develop new policies to promote fitness.
    And at the White House, Federal agencies and businesses and professional
    sport leagues have set up activities, as you can see, to educate people
    about better eating, preventative screenings, and the danger of
    substance abuse.
        On Saturday, members of my staff will join the First Lady and me in a fitness challenge to serve as an example to
    get people running and exercising and walking. And throughout this year
    and so long as we're here in Washington, we will do everything we can,
    as we travel around the country, to demonstrate ways to help keep
    America fit.
        It is important for all of us to be responsible for the decisions we
    make in life. It's important for us to be responsible for taking care of
    our own health. And as we do so, not only will we each have a more
    fulfilling life, collectively we'll make a great contribution to the
    country we love.
        I want to thank you for coming. I want to thank you for your
    commitment to making America the greatest place it can possibly be. Take
    a small step for America by exercising on a daily basis.
        God bless you all, and God bless the country.

    Note: The President spoke at 8 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. The Executive order of June 6 establishing the President's
    Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the Executive order of June
    20 on activities to promote personal fitness are listed in Appendix D at
    the end of this volume.