The American Heart Association says about 72 million Americans have high blood pressure, so some local physical therapy students are trying to kick-start a healthier lifestyle for people in the community.

A group of U-F students and trained professionals offered free blood pressure and body fat screenings.  Many folks stopped after they shopped, to see where they fell on the health scale.

The therapists-in-training say these are simple steps anyone can take to improve the quality of their life.

"Wether it be to loose weight, to get their blood pressure down, to fight against diabetes, they don't realize they can do it on their own," says one of the health experts.

"The scale is a great way to get a quick easy measurement of the body, but really the body fat device is better. The count is something that gives a better image of whether someone is overweight, obese, or in the normal range."

Thalia Hayden WCJB TV20 News