With obesity continuing to grow as a concern, members of the Bush administration are preparing to introduce guidelines to combat America’s ever-expanding waistlines.

Efforts have already been made to encourage Americans to improve their dietary health, as evidenced by the updated food pyramid.

What the government is preparing to focus on, however, is the physical aspect of healthy living.

Current physical guidelines include a suggested 30 minutes of exercise a day to maintain good health, 60 minutes a day to curb weight gain and 90 minutes a day to lose weight.

The government is set to announce improvements to these guidelines sometime in 2008.

Greg Welk, associate professor of health and human performance, said Americans should be more concerned about the lack of exercise nationwide.

“While obesity gets most of the attention in the media, the real problem is the low levels of physical activity,” Welk said.

“Data shows that overweight people that are active and fit have lower health risks than normal-weight people that are inactive and unfit.”

Welk said it is more important to be active than it is to be thin.

Carlos Ramirez, freshman in mechanical engineering, doesn’t see this affecting him any time soon.

“These aren’t going to change my behavior unless they become required. I consider myself to be in good shape,” Ramirez said.

“The people who don’t care about their health at all just aren’t going to do anything.”

Welk also believes that changes that extend far beyond the new guidelines need to be made in order to improve America’s overall health.

“Efforts are needed in all segments of society to promote activity. Schools and work sites have been targeted as major settings that can be used to reach youth and adults,” Welk said.

“Aspects of our environment make it difficult to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”