Introduction
We all need to be more active, eat better, take control of our health, feel good! That’s what Stepping Toward Health is all about. We want Tallahassee to be a fit community, but only all of us together can do it.
That’s why Capital Health Plan, along with community partners from business, education, and health care, “stepped up” to the challenge of walking more - and helping others do it too. The health partners and this web site are here to help our community:
- Learn what couch potato really means
- Get the fantastic benefits of simple exercise
- Count steps... and shoot for “10K a Day”
Step up to the challenge - and Get Started - Tallahassee!
Partners
- Capital Health Plan
- Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce
- City of Tallahassee
- Leon County
- Leon County District Schools
- Tallahassee Sports Council
- FAMU
- FSU
- TCC
- GTO
- MGT of America
- Marpan Supply
- Desloge Home Oxygen
- Brandt Communications Services, Inc.
When We Sit Still
Too many pounds and too little activity - the current American lifestyle - aren’t change-the-channel matters. They’re killers. And costly ones at that. But by choosing to improve our fitness level one step at a time, day by day, here’s what we will combat:
- about 1 in 4 children and 1 in 3 adults are obese: 30 pounds over normal weight (twice that many adults are overweight, or 10% over normal)
- in Tallahassee 75% of adults are overweight
- 60-75% of adults and almost 50% of teens don’t get enough exercise
- weighing too much causes 300,000 premature deaths a year
- heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, some cancers, arthritis, and low energy are painful consequences of too much weight
- diabetes in children has increased 10-fold in 20 years
- it costs $93 billion annually to treat obesity-related diseases
- health care costs are 20% higher for the overweight and 60% higher for the morbidly obese
- we all pay more for health care because of inactivity and excess weight - but fitness can keep costs down
When We Step Out
Experts know that 10,000 steps a day is the mark of healthy lifestyle. But any increase in daily steps will have benefits over time. 10K-a-day moves us faster and further toward weight goals, and managing diabetes and blood pressure.