May 3, 2016 - The American Thoracic Society (ATS) is partnering with Heka Health, a Silicon Valley based health technology company, to hold its first annual ATS Walking Challenge at the 2016 ATS International Conference, San Francisco, May 13-18. The ATS Walking Challenge, supported by Teva Respiratory, promotes healthy behaviors and encourages healthcare professionals to “walk the talk”, all in a fun and engaging manner. Additionally, participants in the Walking Challenge will be helping raise money for the ATS Foundation, which funds research, education, and training to prevent, treat, and cure respiratory diseases worldwide.

Americans are spending more time seated than ever, and researchers say that sedentary lifestyles are creating a health crisis. In a recent Los Angeles Times interview, Dr. James Levine, Director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative (and inventor of the treadmill desk) summed up his findings in two sentences: “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death."

Evidence showing clinical outcomes can be improved through patient awareness, education, and engagement is at the heart of the ATS’s mission as well as Heka Health’s suite of connected health solutions. The shared vision to provide healthcare professionals with tools to empower their patients to prevent and manage chronic disease unites the ATS and Heka Health in their efforts to effectively drive improved health outcomes.