2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Members Named

Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for health, today announced the appointment of 17 nationally recognized experts in physical activity and health to serve on the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Over the next two years, the Committee will examine current scientific evidence on the relationship between physical activity and health outcomes and will ultimately submit evidence-based recommendations in a scientific advisory report to the Secretary of HHS. These recommendations will be considered, along with public and federal agency comments, as HHS develops the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The Physical Activity Guidelines are an essential resource for health professionals and policymakers, providing science-based guidance on how children and adults can improve their health through physical activity.

“We know that meeting the recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans can produce physical and mental health benefits,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Karen DeSalvo. “ Regular physical activity -- 150 minutes a week for adults and 60 minutes per day for children -- can reduce the risk of depression, cognitive decline, and many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.”

The first edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines was released in 2008. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will lead the development of the second edition in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. The second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines is expected to be released in 2018.

The Advisory Committee will conduct an extensive review of the scientific data relating physical activity to health outcomes for the general population and select groups, such as youth, older adults and persons with disabilities. The Committee is expected to hold approximately five public meetings, all of which will be webcast. Notification of the first meeting on July 14-15, 2016 is available on the Federal Register. For information about the meetings, including how to submit public comments, go to www.health.gov/paguidelines.

The following individuals have been appointed to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee:

Abby C. King, PhD, Co-chair
Professor, Health Research & Policy and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine

Ken Powell, MD, MPH, Co-chair
Retired, CDC and Georgia Department of Human Resources

David Buchner, MD, MPH, FACSM
Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in Applied Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois

Wayne Campbell, PhD
Professor, Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University

Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH, FACSM
Professor and Chair, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, the Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University

Kirk I. Erickson, PhD
Associate Professor, Departments of Psychology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Charles H. Hillman, PhD
Professor, Departments of Psychology and the Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University

John M. Jakicic, PhD
Professor, Department of Health and Physical Activity, University of Pittsburgh
Director, Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center, University of Pittsburgh

Kathleen F. Janz, EdD, FACSM
Professor, Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa

Peter T. Katzmarzyk, PhD
Professor and Associate Executive Director for Population and Public Health Sciences, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

William E. Kraus, MD, FACSM
Professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University

Richard F. Macko, MD
Professor, Neurology, Medicine, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Research Director, Veterans Affairs Maryland, Geriatrics Research, Educational, and Clinical Center

David Marquez, PhD, FACSM
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago
Director, Exercise Psychology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago

Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, FACSM
Research Professor, University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health
Full Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Russell R. Pate, PhD, FACSM
Professor, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina
Chair, National Physical Activity Plan Alliance

Linda Pescatello, PhD, FACSM
Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology, Departments of Allied Health Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut; and Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine 

Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD, FACSM
President & CEO, Gramercy Research Group