Dinner, Movie and a Betrayal, and she is currently writing an essay about John’s life and his family tree. Jennifer Reis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Oregon. Her research interests include the use of self-report measures and physiological indicators to study the relationship between motivation and health-related behavior change. She also examines how racial and cultural factors impact motivation and use of healthy behaviors. She obtained her PhD in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Laura Thielen is a second-year undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Social Work and minoring in Biology. She hopes to work in the healthcare field doing outreach, and possibly someday to open her own practice with a variety of services ranging from psychology to education to physical therapy. Alexandra Zampel is a Master's Candidate in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School, specializing in women's health and nutrition. She completed her B.S. in Human Biology at the University of Minnesota, working with Dr. Lena Hansen. She has a passion for nutrition research and wants to promote a healthy lifestyle for everyone. She has spent many months volunteering in India and is very proud of her recent accomplishment of obtaining her first yoga teaching certification. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. Danielle Knaak and her staff at the St. Paul-based Institute of Medicine for all of their support. We also thank the following individuals for their input and review of the manuscript: Dr. David Alford and Dr. Deborah Schade for their contribution to the article entitled “Pioneering Research in Fitness and Physical Activity,” Dr. Amy Freedman for her review of the article “Fitness for All,” Dr. Bruce Gordon for his review of the article “A Model Community,” Dr. Steven Johnson for his review of the article “Mentoring,” Dr. Dan Long for his review of the article “Exercise and Health,” and Dr. Robert Paine for his review of the article “Fitness and School-Based Health Promotion Programs.” Dr. David Pincus is acknowledged for his input on the article “Leadership, Inclusion and Fitness.” Finally, we would like to thank all of the people that contributed to the manuscript and would like to thank all of the reviewers, subjects, and participants involved in this project. We would like to particularly thank all of the people that made this research possible. Authors' Note “The authors and the Journal take no responsibility for the veracity of statements made in the text, whether based on the opinions of the authors or not.” This publication represents the culmination of eight years of rigorous research. It is the product of all those involved. We would like to thank all of our research participants, community organizations, and community members, the reviewers, subjects, the research staff, and others who contributed to this research. We would also like to thank the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science for their support. Our gratitude is also extended to the editorial staff at Health Behavior News. We would like to thank Dr. John M. Ware for his support and encouragement in developing this chapter, as well as for his ongoing support throughout this research. We would like to also thank our friend, Dr. David Pincus, who gave us guidance in the area of qualitative research. Finally, a special thanks to those who have influenced this research in ways large and small, in ways that made a difference. We dedicate this manuscript to them and hope that their influence has continued. Finally, this work is dedicated to the following people: Dr. David E. Alford, Dr. Robert Paine, Dr. Laura Thielen, Ms. Jennifer Reis, and Dr. Alexandra Zampel. About the Authors Dr. Deborah Schade is a Professor of Health Promotion and Education in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include the use of sport, physical activity, fitness, and exercise as vehicles for health promotion and health risk reduction. Dr. Schade is the Editor-in-Chief of Health Behavior News and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Board of Directors. Dr. Deborah Schade, Dr. Susan Swain, and Dr. Christopher H. Fryar and others at the University of Minnesota collaborated on various aspects of this research. The authors would also like to thank the team at the Institute of Medicine for their help in reviewing the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Steven Johnson and Dan Long at Minneapolis High School for allowing the use of facilities at the high school for data collection. Dr. Bruce Gordon from the University of Connecticut and Ms. Jennifer Reis from the University of Minnesota (now University of Wisconsin) assisted in developing the concept of Fitness4St Paul (F4SP), Minneapolis and St. Paul respectively, and assisted in recruiting many of the data participants. Dr. David Pincus (now a National Research Director at the National Academy of Sciences) gave his expert opinion on designing a quantitative study and qualitative design, respectively. The following individuals were instrumental in developing this manuscript: Dr. Robert Paine and the Institute of Medicine staff. Other support for this manuscript included Dr. Alexandra Zampel, Dr. Jen Reis, and Dr. Jennifer Reis. We would like to thank the people who had an influence on the development of this manuscript. Author Disclosure Statement No competing financial interests exist. Introduction Physical activity in adults has been recognized as an integral factor in the overall health of the nation [1]. In addition, as evidenced by the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [2], there is a growing interest in promoting the health and well-being of adults through increasing physical activity levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other governmental organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association have taken on the challenge to develop evidence-based, evidence-based intervention strategies for individuals and populations that can help the public attain health benefits. This research initiative was developed to improve understanding of how lifestyle factors (exercise, fitness, and nutrition) promote public health. This chapter includes a focus on research studies conducted by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), especially those studies that are interdisciplinary in nature. These studies were designed to evaluate the relationship of the aforementioned lifestyle factors to overall health, such as cardiovascular fitness, cardiovascular disease, cancer, longevity, and others. This work was funded by various federal agencies, foundations, and other groups such as the American Heart Association. It was published in scientific journals, presented at conferences, and discussed with organizations and individuals in the areas of community health and health promotion. This chapter reviews evidence-based research involving physical activity, exercise, fitness, and nutrition for the improvement of health-related outcomes. It begins with a historical overview of studies and interventions that have led to an understanding of the impact of physical activity, exercise, and fitness on the health of individuals. From this beginning, it highlights studies that have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, with