This past fall, Health & Human services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G.
Thompson announced the Secretary’s challenge: Steps to a healthier HHS.
The worksite health promotion encouraged department employees to
become more physically active. The voluntary initiative promoted the
benefits of a healthy lifestyle by challenging employees to be on the
move at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for six weeks. Says
Thompson, “I believe we should lead by example, and what better way to
encourage a little healthy competition among the HHS family.”
To successfully complete the Secretary’s Challenge, employees
had to engage in moderate physical activity from September 22 to
October 31. Participants logged their daily activities on a website.
The Challenge was a pilot program involving about 3,000 HHS employees
in Washington, D.C. The goal is to extend the challenge to all 65,000
HHS employees and to other departments.
Modeled after the President’s Challenge administered by the
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, The
Secretary’s Challenge is the newest phase of steps to a HealthierUS,
Thompson’s prevention initiative to expand and build upon the
President’s HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer,
healthier lives.
More information about the HealthierUS initiative is available
at
www.healthierus.gov/. More information about the President’s
Challenge is available at
www.presidentschallenge.com.
