Missouri ranks near bottom in physical activity for seniors

A Kansas City Star article reports:

Doctors and communities must encourage Americans 65 and older to adopt healthier lifestyles, according to a study Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Merck Institute of Aging & Health. . . .

Nationally, Missouri ranked near the bottom — 48th out of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. — for leisure-time physical activity. About 40 percent of the state's seniors said they had no such activity during a one-month span. . . .

All Americans can benefit from healthier lifestyles, but with older adults the impact is more pronounced, said Maggie Moore, a public health adviser with the CDC.

Of course, one reason for the low amount of physical activity among Missouri seniors is the physical environment of our communities, which too often discourages physical activity rather than encouraging it.

This is not a trivial problem--obesity alone is costing Missouri $1.6 billion per year in direct costs (completely neglecting lost income, lost wages, lost productivity, etc.).