Ark. Code Ann. § 20-8-301: Findings

The General Assembly finds:

(1) That Arkansas consistently ranks among the most unhealthy states in the nation;

(2) That after just one (1) year of regular walking exercise, previously sedentary smokers refrained from smoking at two (2) times the rate of those who received only health education;

(3) That Arkansans who exercise regularly choose walking as their overwhelmingly preferred form of activity;

(4) That women who walk briskly or exercise vigorously may reduce their chances for heart disease by as much as forty percent (40%);

(5) That more than thirty-five percent (35%) of Arkansans do not exercise, placing Arkansas as the sixth most sedentary state in the nation;

(6) That, while people are inactive in all parts of the state, a greater percentage of the population in rural areas is inactive; and

(7) That a reduction in illnesses related to physical inactivity would save Arkansas millions of dollars each year in reduced healthcare costs.