To increase physical activity, local elected officials commit to mapping local playspaces, completing a community needs assessment, developing an action plan and launching a minimum of three proven policies, programs or initiatives aimed at increasing access to play.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

Kids spend a significant portion of their time in school, which is why the First Lady is focusing this initiative on the school environment as a key place to increase access to quality physical activity, so that all students can stay healthy and reach their potential.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

The worrying increase of diabetes in the UK is clearly linked to rising obesity levels and plummeting physical activity levels.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Obesity 'epidemic' turns global

Researchers say the reason for the surge is partly because Americans are getting older and fatter, and possibly because of the country's decline in physical activity and some undefined changes in the American diet such as an increase in fat consumption.

CNN: A dramatic rise in the rate of diabetes reported

In the Lancet online, they suggest that 15 minutes of physical activity per day can reduce a person's risk of death by 14% and increase life expectancy by three years compared with inactive people.

BBC: Can watching TV make you die younger?