WASHINGTON: Fitness buff George W. Bush called on Americans on Saturday to fight the urge to forgo exercise and feast on fatty foods, insisting that even minor changes to their daily routine “can make a big difference” to their health.

“When it comes to your health, even little steps can make a big difference,” the US president exhorted in his weekly radio address, broadcast shortly after the President’s Fitness Challenge Run and Walk, in which he and First Lady Laura Bush led 400 White House aides and administration officials on a five-kilometre run or two-kilometre walk for charity at Washington’s Fort McNair Army base.

“If just 10 percent of adults began walking regularly, Americans could save 5.6 billion dollars in costs related to heart disease,” the 55-year-old Bush declared, noting that studies also suggest that cancer deaths could be cut by a third through improved diet and exercise.

He said his new “Healthier US” fitness initiative, unveiled on Thursday, lays out four basic “guideposts” for good health: daily exercise, healthy eating habits, preventive health screenings and avoiding cigarettes, drugs and excessive alcohol consumption.

“These four simple measures will help all Americans get healthier and stronger,” Bush stressed.

He lamented that nearly 40 percent of adults in the United States engage in almost no physical activity, citing a report released by the US Department of Health and Human Services this week.

This couch potato mentality can “lead to poor health and higher health care costs,” he said, adding that those who are obese spend about 36 percent more on health care and 77 percent more on medication than most others.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and each year more than 1.7 million Americans die from obesity-related illnesses — representing more than two-thirds of all US deaths.

To combat this, Bush urged Americans to get active by walking at least 30 minutes a day, playing games in their backyard or hiking.—AFP