exercise guideline

An article I read today. I wonder why it will take to 2008 to get
guidelines out?
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LINK.[http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/26...ap/index.html]

U.S. exercise guidelines coming in 2008

There's a food pyramid to help guide people's eating habits, so why not
one for exercise?

The Bush administration said Thursday that it would develop guidelines
for physical activity.

When the guidelines are ready in late 2008, federal health officials
hope they will help people live healthier lifestyles, which in turn,
could slow soaring health care costs.

"Obesity is an epidemic, and chronic disease inevitably follows. It has
become a major quiet killer," said Mike Leavitt, the health and human
services secretary.

More than half of adults in the United States do not get enough of the
kind of physical activity that actually benefits them. One-quarter are
not active at all in their leisure time. Overall, more than 60 million
adults are obese, Leavitt said.

The lack of exercise contributes to the $2 trillion that people spend
on health care in this country, Leavitt said. About three-quarters of
that amount goes toward the treatment of chronic disease.

Every five years, the government updates dietary guidelines that are
designed to tell people what they should eat and how they should
prepare food to keep it safe and wholesome. The food pyramid is a
separate document, put out by the Agriculture Department and based on
those dietary guidelines.

Leavitt said the government has a compelling national interest in
promoting healthy choices. But he made it clear that the steps he
envisions are less forceful than others might consider necessary. For
instance, New York City is considering strict limits on artificial
trans fats in restaurant meals.

"You cannot create a culture of wellness through regulations and
penalties," Leavitt said.

Leavitt said he would begin meeting with the beverage and snack
industry, as well as marketing and media groups, about how to create a
"culture of wellness."

"If we simply burden people with guilt or we appeal only to their
fears, it won't happen," he said.
LINK.[http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/26...ap/index.html]

iamdrhowell wrote:
An article I read today. I wonder why it will take to 2008 to get
guidelines out?

I've written guidelines for a corporation and that takes 2-3 months.

First, you get a team of experts and stakeholders to create a rough
draft--skipping this step can result in guidelines that are
single-minded, worthless, or impractical. Second, you need buy-in from
a wide range of groups. Often that's as easy as letting them put their
own tiny mark on it, or making the occasional compromise. Third, some
issues defy compromise. You must find a win-win solution, even if that
seems impossible, or decide who to leave out. Fourth, you must educate
people on the guidelines. Fifth, you must monitor them.

If it takes corporations 2-3 months, it takes our government a year.