Cross-posted from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
Sixty years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a commitment to the health and well-being of our nation. On July 16, 1956, he established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. Recognizing that our nation’s youth were not fit to serve in the military, compared to our European counterparts, the Council was formed to ensure that youth were fit and active.
While a lot of changes have happened since 1956, one thing has remained the same – the health of the nation is still a national priority. This is the first generation that is expected to live fewer years than their parents. Physical education is being cut in schools and youth sports participation is declining. Additionally, physical inactivity and obesity are causing serious health issues in people of all ages. These factors limit our country’s potential to succeed.
We know that “Active Kids Do Better.” When students are active it can lead to higher test scores, improved attendance, increased focus, and lower rates of childhood obesity. But it’s not just kids that do better; physically active adults are also more productive, confident, and able to sleep better.
To celebrate 60 years of working to help Americans move more, eat healthier, and live stronger, we are on a mission to pick up our momentum in inspiring a healthier reality and generation. In May, we announced our new #0to60 campaign, which will officially launch at the end of the summer. #0to60 is a national public engagement campaign to inspire all Americans to accelerate their journey to leading a healthy, active lifestyle.
The campaign is much bigger than our 60 year history. #0to60 is about YOU and all that you can do to experience your best and healthiest life. Join us in a journey from zero to sixty! Dedicate yourself to adopting a new healthy habit, increasing your daily physical activity with something fun, and making dishes that are delicious and nutritious. No matter where you are starting, we want to help you increase your momentum to going from #0to60.
The fastest way to living healthy starts right now! Over the next year, we will be working with old and new partners to share information, resources, and inspiration needed to educate, engage, and empower Americans on a journey of fun, fitness, and health.
And we’re too excited to wait until the official kick off of the campaign to get you started on your journey from #0to60. Starting now, we’ll be using our @FitnessGov Twitter to share a daily #FitTip and other fun ideas to help you move more and eat healthier. You can also learn more about our history and progress over the last 60 years as we share 60 days of #FitGovFact posts on Twitter.
The journey starts now! Are you in? We can’t do this without you. Join us by sharing your #0to60 journey on social media and signing up for updates on the campaign at 0to60fitness.org.