Although a recent report shows that adult obesity rates in the U.S. have remained steady in recent years – rather than continuing the upward trend seen for decades – rates are still too high, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) – and elected officials should take action on the issue.

While a majority of Americans place a high value on being physically fit, most don’t feel as if they are in good shape, according to a recent survey on fitness and health.

People who think they’re less active than others their age have a greater chance of dying younger than people who perceive themselves as more active, even if their actual activity levels are the same, according to research published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

A new study led by American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers in collaboration with leading experts concludes that physical activity should be routinely assessed during the doctor-patient encounter, and that clinicians should design in collaboration with their patients a detailed physical activity plan with goals that should be set and monitored. The study uses concepts from public health and behavioral economics to provide practical advice to clinicians on effective counseling to patients. The study appears early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Nearly half of all heart attacks may be silent and like those that cause chest pain or other warning signs, silent heart attacks increase the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

Doctors are increasingly writing new prescriptions for an old remedy- time in nature. As part of the burgeoning Park Rx movement, health care providers throughout the country are encouraging patients to use parks to reap the benefits of nature’s healing properties.

Students across the nation would benefit from strong state requirements for physical education. However, 2016 Shape of the Nation™, released today by SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators and Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shows most states are dropping the ball on keeping kids active and fit and preparing them for a healthy future.

Keeping your pressure under control can mean adding things to your life, like exercise, that help lower it. But, you may not realize that it also means avoiding things that raise your pressure. A healthy blood pressure level means you’re less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.