The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008 is now available.

On October 26, 2006, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the Department would develop comprehensive guidelines, drawn from science, to help Americans fit physical activity into their lives. The first step in the development of the Physical Activity Guidelines was the establishment of the independent Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, which was charged to review existing scientific literature to identify where there was sufficient evidence to develop a comprehensive set of specific physical activity recommendations.

The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008 is now available. It is the product of the 13-member Advisory Committee and more than 30 additional consultants. You can access the report by clicking the Report link at http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/. The 683-page report can be viewed or downloaded in its entirety or by individual chapter. The report presents and summarizes the Advisory Committee*s review of science relating physical activity to a variety of health outcomes. It also addresses the benefits of physical activity for particular subgroups of the population such as children and youth, pregnant and postpartum women, persons with disabilities, and individuals with some chronic conditions. The report will be a valuable resource for students, researchers, or anyone interested in the health benefits of physical activity. It provides the scientific basis for the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which is currently being developed by the Department of Health and Human Services for a planned fall 2008 launch.

We invite you to provide comments on the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008. We also welcome views, information and data relevant to the development of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The Committee's Report will not be amended in response to comments. However, all comments will be considered in the preparation of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Further details about providing comments can be found by clicking the Comments link at http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/.