John Clymer, executive director of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
To mark World Heart Day on Saturday, four dozen mayors and the U.S. Surgeon General will team up for a special event to battle heart disease – the leading killer of Americans.
The United States Conference of Mayors is organizing a special “Move with the Mayor” walk in Columbia, S.C. The goal: get Americans to take steps now to fight heart disease and live longer, healthier lives.
“Heart disease tragically wipes out thousands of our friends and family every year,” said John Clymer, executive director of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. “What makes these deaths especially devastating is that heart disease is preventable for most people. That’s why we’re so grateful for the leadership of the United States Conference of Mayors, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and Surgeon General Jerome Adams in helping our nation’s citizens get on the road to better health.”
Adams is joining the mayors in Columbia at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Fall Leadership Meeting. They will walk instead of driving between meeting locations on Saturday – and encourage others to start walking more, too.
Over the past month, mayors from around the country have hosted their own Move with the Mayor events, a nationwide effort organized by the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. Move with the Mayor features a series of 30-minute walks to encourage residents to get moving toward a better, healthier life.
“Too many of us can’t do the things we enjoy most because of health limitations,” said Clymer, whose nonprofit organization focuses on saving lives through public education and policy initiatives. “And it will only get worse if we don’t do something for ourselves.”
Cardiovascular diseases kill about 800,000 Americans every year. That’s more deaths than from all types of cancer combined.
The good news, Clymer said, is that getting healthier can start with a simple step: Start walking.
“As the mayors and Surgeon General are demonstrating, you don’t need special skills, facilities, or expensive equipment to walk, and even very busy people can fit it into their daily routines,” Clymer said.
“It’s just doing the basics,” Clymer added. “Exercise daily, eat healthier meals and don’t smoke.”
On World Heart Day, the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention is asking people to make a commitment to their health – for themselves and for their families.
“When you make a commitment to better health, you’re making a commitment to a better life for you and your loves ones,” Clymer said. “World Heart Day is the perfect day to get started.”
To learn more about Move with the Mayor, visit https://www.nationalforum.org/collaborations/move-with-the-mayor/.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FORUM FOR HEART DISEASE & STROKE PREVENTION
The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention brings together the most dynamic and diverse organizations in cardiovascular health, providing a forum share knowledge and ideas and to collaborate. More than 90 public, private and nonprofit sector organizations are members. The National Forum is an independent non-profit, 501(c)(3), voluntary health organization. To learn more, visit www.nationalforum.org
ABOUT WORLD HEART DAY
World Heart Day was founded by the World Heart Federation in the year 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death, claiming an estimated 17.3 million lives each year. World Heart Day takes place on Sept. 29 every year.
