HEALTH MANAGEMENT. National forests provide public health benefits

More than 170 million people visit national forests for recreation each year. And physical activity in connection with these visits 290 billion food calories. The is enough of pommes-frites-end end of the Moon and back - twice - according to a study in the journal of forestry.
During the most recent strategic plan the U.S. forest service includes conservation and more opportunities for leisure activities in the open air, are the benefits of exercise and leisure activities also by President Obama America's outdoor initiative, Americans with their landscape, and the first lady's move recognized outside campaign.
But how exactly are our national forests, so people, to develop a healthier lifestyle? A recent study may show some answers.
"We the extent that national forests use could be for the public health, by the estimate of net energy spent on a range of outdoor activities involved, the national forest of the visitors studied country," explains research Forester Jeff Kline. "We have this by the combination of data that describes national forest visitors rest in the free activities with data, the characterization of the calories consumed with any kind of physical activity."
Kline, a scientist with the forest service Pacific Northwest research station, and Oregon State University co-authors, Randall Rosenberg and Eric white, recently published their findings in the September issue of the journal of forestry. In the article "A national evaluation of physical activity in U.S. national forests," holds national forests to Americans, the guidelines for regular physical activity, which laid down by the centres can meet and prevention for disease control.
Main findings of the study are: walking, hiking, downhill ski, fishing, relax, camping, relax, and driving pleasure are the primary activities for two-thirds (68 percent) of all visits to the national forests. Annual energy investment in national forest recreation are 6.8 million adults and almost 317.000 children meeting the Centers for disease control and prevention guidelines regular aerobic physical activity for a year. The distribution of these health benefits vary with close and income. 52 Percent of rest visits of people that are within of 60 miles a national forest of life. These "local" visitors are rather lower household income groups as a non-local visitor, with 45 percent earn less than $50,000 per year compared to 25 percent for non-local visitors come from.
National forest in the Western States the largest share of all rest in the free visits (75 percent) and related net energy expenditure (75%). However provide national forests in the Northeast and Southeast proportionally more net energy expenditure, because they are generally closer to major population centres towards the West, and their visitors have more intensive physical activities.

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