Declaring a goal of changing America's "sick-care system to a health-care system", the Obama administration recently announced a strategy designed to emphasise prevention in all walks of life.

Headed by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, the plan builds on initiatives such as Michelle Obama's campaign for healthy eating and the Food and Drug Administration's new tobacco regulation powers.

It requires a range of federal agencies to consider prevention in everything they do, with the onus also placed on the nation as a whole to think healthcare as something that goes well beyond medicine to include safer streets, cleaner water and easier access to healthy foods.

As part of the campaign, the White House has launched an initiative called President's Challenge.

The scheme aims to get Americans to commit to changing their lifestyles for six weeks by setting themselves physical activity targets and healthy eating goals.

Participants can then log their progress online and earn awards for meeting the pre-set goals.

For details on the Let's Move campaign, click here.