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.