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Healthier state starts with better choices

Most of us have laughed at David Letterman's "Top Ten Lists." Unfortunately, when it comes to health statistics in South Carolina, our own list is no laughing matter, with our state ranking in the "Top Ten" in obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In fact, in South Carolina obesity alone is responsible for more than $1 billion in health-related expenditures each year, and billions more in indirect costs.

Worst of all is that the prevalence of these diseases and the costs associated with them are due in large part to bad decisions we make on a day to day basis -- decisions like eating fast food rather than fruits and vegetables, or watching another hour of television instead of going for a walk. To that end, I've issued a personal challenge to all South Carolinians to do something about our state's health -- what we're calling the "Family Fitness Challenge" is all about the fundamental notion that a healthier South Carolina starts with making better choices about our health everyday.

This year, my challenge to South Carolinians is to meet up with Jenny, the boys and me over a couple of weekends in May as we bike across the state. We're going to start near Spartanburg, make our way down to Little Mountain, then pick up in Columbia a couple of weekends later, head down to Santee and on to North Charleston. You can log on to www.scgovernor.com for more details. I'll be riding the whole way, but we'd invite anyone to come out and join Jenny and the boys to walk, ride or even rollerblade for a few miles or a few blocks.

The bottom line is that I want everyone in this state to take this opportunity to be just a little bit more active, because doing so will pay a world of dividends to us as a state, particularly when a full 75 percent of South Carolinians aren't getting enough physical activity, and roughly a third of our state isn't engaging in any physical activity whatsoever.

For one, being more active can go a long way toward cutting the risk of developing some of these health problems related to obesity and lack of physical activity. The best part is that you don't have to be a marathon runner to reap the benefits of physical activity -- even walking can greatly reduce your risks of developing serious diseases. Walking for more than an hour a week can reduce the risk of a first heart attack by 73 percent. Brisk walking one hour a day can cut in half a woman's risk of type-2 diabetes. Brisk walking for just half an hour, 6 times a month, can lower the risk of premature death among men and women by 44 percent. Walking also helps control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while decreasing the risk of breast cancer, stroke, glaucoma, and other diseases. Nationwide, the CDC estimates that if just 10 percent of adults began a regular walking program, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved.

Two, our Family Fitness Challenge isn't just about a healthier individual; it's about a healthier family. For most of us growing up, our moms and dads didn't have to tell us to go outside and play -- we just did. But nowadays, kids are all too often not getting the amount of exercise that they should. On average, kids in this country spend 5-1/2 hours per day in front of a screen. A lot of us adults used to walk to school, but most kids today are driven or bused, and oftentimes, families don't have as much time for home-cooked meals around the dinner table anymore.

As a result, the number of kids from the ages of 6 to 19 who are overweight has tripled in the past 30 years, and one in every 10 children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight. Getting the whole family committed to a healthier lifestyle is critical to improving our state's health.

Third, our challenge is about improving the quality of life of all South Carolinians. Quality of life is a concept that embodies a lot of things, but in this case it means just improving the way we look and feel as a state. While physical activity has a litany of tangible benefits, there are also a host of intangibles as well, from making us feel better about the way we look to giving us all an opportunity to enjoy South Carolina's natural beauty.

The bottom line is that I want everyone in this state to make a commitment to being a little bit more active. Whether that means joining us in May or simply taking a walk around the block, taking your health seriously is good for your body, good for your family, and good for the quality of life in South Carolina.

I hope to hit the road with you soon!

Mark Sanford is governor of South Carolina.