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- The health and wellbeing of residents should be one of Arizona's top priorities. Arizona should be doing everything in its power to encourage - not discourage - physical activity. Clearly, a sales tax that increases the cost of a health club membership does not accomplish this goal.
- The CDC reports that 56% of Arizona adults are overweight or obese.
- According to the CDC, Arizona spends $752 million a year on obesity-attributable expenditures. Of the $752 million, obesity-attributable expenditures costs $154 million is from Medicare and $242 million from Medicaid.
- At 20.1%, Arizona has the 40th highest level of adult obesity in the country, and the 19th highest overweight levels for high school students at 10.8 percent. “The state spent an estimated $135 per person in 2003 on medical-costs related to obesity.” (Trust for America’s Health Reports)
- The CDC approximates the annual cost of obesity in the United States to be $117 billion.
- The government spends less money on active health club members as they have lower health care costs. According to the CDC, if all physically inactive Americans became active, we would save $77 billion in annual medical costs.
- The American Cancer Society states that up to a third of cancer deaths are related to diet and physical inactivity.
- Research presented to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports finds that regular participation in resistance training activities has been shown to positively influence bone mineral density, body composition, cardio-respiratory fitness, blood lipids and psychological well-being.
- Active health club members are less likely to suffer from a variety of diseases and ailments such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, and osteoporosis.
- Taxing health and fitness memberships does not send a positive message to the residents of the state. Physical activity greatly increases one’s quality of life, and state governments should do everything they can to encourage physical activity.
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