Most of us know that physical activity leads to better health. That is nothing new. But for the first time in 10 years, the United States government has changed its guidance on how much exercise people need to stay healthy and when they should start. Brett Giroir is Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In a video, he spoke with the Associated Press about the new guidelines. Dr. Giroir says he is excited about the new guidelines. He adds that getting or attaining the health benefits from exercise may be easier than earlier thought. “I’m very excited about the guidelines because what we’ve found out is that it’s actually easier to attain the health benefits than we thought before. And the health benefits are so much greater.” That is good news for people in the U.S. who may need to lose weight. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2016 about 93 million adults nationwide were overweight or considered obese. Its website notes that obesity rates for both adults and children have been rising since 1999.
