In 1990, four of the ten leading causes of death in American women were chronic diseases directly associated with modifiable behavioral factors including physical inactivity or sedentary lifestyle. They were heart disease, certain forms of cancer (specifically, breast and colon cancers), cerebrovascular disease (hypertension and stroke), and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (National Center for Health Statistics, 1993). McGinnis and Foege (1993) summarized reports that attributed dietary factors and sedentary lifestyles with 22 to 30% of cardiovascular deaths, 20 to 60% of cancer deaths, and 30% of diabetes deaths. The only more prominent behavioral contributor to mortality than diet and.
