Tapping into the natural world: are America's public lands and waters the gateway to better health?

Hardly a day goes by that we are not reminded of the fact that Americans are becoming less active and more obese. The problem provokes such concern that recently, U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Julie Louise Gerberding have labeled obesity the chief health problem in the United States--looming larger than even smoking and tobacco use. Resulting from a sedentary lifestyle, obesity often leads to significant chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and bone loss among the nation's youth and adults. It is preventable chronic diseases such as these that are costing our nation billions of dollars in medical care and decreased quality of life.

In June 2002, President George W. Bush launched the HealthierUS Initiative, which is based on the premise that increasing personal fitness and becoming healthier is critical to achieving a better and longer life. The president's initiative uses the resources of the federal government to alert Americans to the vital health benefits of simple and modest improvements in physical activity, nutrition and behavior.

Within this same month, the secretaries of the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services and the U.S. Army signed a memorandum of understanding in support of HealthierUS. The agreement established a Federal Interagency Work Group on Public Health and Recreation with representatives from the seven federal land and water management bureaus and four federal health promotion agencies.

The agreement recognizes that public lands and water provide diverse recreation opportunities, which play an important role in meeting the physical activity objective of HealthierUS. Public lands are places for physical activity and should be viewed as a resource for the promotion of health.

In November 2003, the heads of the seven federal land and water management agencies further pledged to explore the possibilities of creating a seamless system of services. Among its commitments, the agencies promised "to increase public awareness of and the value of our public lands and waters with the objectives of increasing outdoor recreation participation among all Americans with an emphasis on our youth."

Part of this campaign, includes the conference, "Meridian 2004: Initiatives in Public Health and Recreation," which occurred this month in St. Paul, Minn., and kicked off the outdoor summer recreation season.

Meridian 2004, held in conjunction with National Trails Day, is a public media event sponsored by NRPA to promote new or reinvigorated programs and partnerships that support recreational activity and volunteerism on public lands and waters. Because integrated strategies and action plans can have a positive effect on changing individual behaviors, this country's public lands and waters can be the gateway to better health for all Americans.

Another upcoming event is the National Public Lands Day on Sept. 18, where thousands of volunteers sweep the nation's parks of debris that clog our public lands and rid them of their beauty.

Having access to public parks improves our physical health whether they are local, regional, state or national. Strong evidence shows that when people have access to parks, they are more physically active. In a study published by the CDC in 2001, enhanced access to places for activity led to a 25.6 percent increase in the amount of people getting active on three or more days per week.

Beyond the benefits of physical activity, a growing body of research shows that contact with the natural world also improves psychological health as well. The benefits of parks and recreation centers are frequently included in community-based programs, such as youth and geriatrics, prison, developmental disabilities, and special education.

While local and regional parks, as well as recreation centers are uniquely positioned to meet the everyday needs of citizens, Americans also take great pride in their national parks. The preservation of federal land and waters are vital to maintaining natural landscapes and resources, as well as our national heritage; yet the vast space afforded by national parks also allows people to enjoy rigorous physical activities, including biking, climbing, kayaking and camping to name a few.

Collectively, the seven land and water agencies manage nearly one in three acres of land in the United States, and receive nearly one billion visits per year. These numbers are staggering--particularly when viewed in the context of the unprecedented opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of physical activity, while promoting recreational activities that are fun, diverse and easy.

Our public lands and waters play a vital role in a HealthierUS. Scientific public health evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication, "Guide to Community Preventive Services," show our public lands are proven assets. Providing access to places for physical activity such as national, state, and local parks and byways increases the level of physical activity in a community.

Michael Suk is a White House Fellow with the U.S. Department of the Interior