Healthy America Week (2006)

Healthy Virginia Week

WHEREAS,  through its participation in the National Governor’s Association’s chairman’s initiative Healthy America, the Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to helping raise awareness about the urgent need for all its citizens to live healthier, more active lives; and

WHEREAS,  governors across the United States have been working on a wide variety of health reform-related issues in order to encourage wellness; and

WHEREAS,  more than one quarter of all adults in the United States are physically inactive, and 65 percent are overweight; and

WHEREAS,  by engaging in regular physical activity, one can greatly reduce their risk of many chronic diseases and health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s overweight population that is at risk for developing diabetes may be able to reduce that risk by as much as 60 percent in the event that they become physically active for 30 minutes a day while also committing themselves to losing a moderate amount of weight; and

WHEREAS,  Healthy Virginia Week serves as a reminder to all of our Commonwealth’s citizens about he importance of making good health decisions over the long term;

  NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy M. Kaine, do hereby recognize May 1-5, 2006, as HEALTHY VIRGINIA WEEK, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.