[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 19 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 19

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning health 
                   promotion and disease prevention.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2007

 Mr. Gene Green of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning health 
                   promotion and disease prevention.

Whereas the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that modifiable 
        lifestyle factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, 
        unmanaged stress, and obesity account for approximately 50 percent of 
        the premature deaths in the United States;
Whereas the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that spending on 
        chronic diseases related to lifestyle and other preventable diseases 
        accounts for an estimated 70 percent of total health care spending;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that the 
        health burden of these behaviors falls in greatest proportion on older 
        adults, young children, racial and ethnic minorities, and citizens who 
        have less education and income;
Whereas business leaders in the United States have asserted that the economic 
        burden of medical care diverts corporate resources from investments that 
        could produce greater financial returns, and reduces the wages paid to 
        employees;
Whereas the Office of Management and Budget reports that the Medicaid and 
        Medicare programs consume an increasingly large portion of government 
        funding;
Whereas the American Journal of Public Health reports that the financial burden 
        of the Medicare program will increase substantially as the population 
        ages and increasing numbers of people are covered by that program;
Whereas improving the health of the American people and reducing the need for 
        medical services is a viable way to control medical care costs for the 
        Nation;
Whereas the American Journal of Health Promotion reports that a growing research 
        base demonstrates that lifestyle factors can be modified to improve 
        health, improve the quality of life, reduce medical care costs, and 
        enhance workplace productivity through health promotion programs;
Whereas the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has determined that less 
        than 8 percent of health care spending is devoted to the whole area of 
        public health, only a very small portion of which is devoted to health 
        promotion;
Whereas significant additional work is required to develop the basic and applied 
        science of health promotion;
Whereas additional research is required to clarify the impact of health 
        promotion programs on long term health behaviors, health conditions, 
        morbidity and mortality, medical care utilization and cost, as well as 
        quality of life and productivity;
Whereas the Institute of Medicine has proclaimed that additional research is 
        required to determine the most effective strategies at the individual, 
        organizational, community, and societal level to create lasting health 
        behavior changes, reduce medical utilization and enhance workplace 
        productivity;
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that additional research is required 
        to develop strategies to reach all groups with special attention focused 
        on older adults, young children, racial and ethnic minorities and 
        citizens who have less education and income;
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that significant efforts are required 
        to develop standardized management and clinical protocols for programs 
        and to disseminate these protocols to scientists and practitioners in 
        health care, workplace, school, and other community settings;
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that information on the benefits of 
        health promotion programs must be disseminated to policy makers in 
        public and private sector settings;
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that significant efforts are required 
        to develop programs to enhance lifestyle in school, workplace, health 
        care, and other community settings;
Whereas investments in health promotion contributes directly to current efforts 
        of Ending Health Disparities, the Leading Health Indicators, and Healthy 
        People 2010; and
Whereas Research!America reports that most American citizens and scientists have 
        shown strong support for increased investment in health promotion: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the powers of the Federal Government should be utilized--
            (1) to enhance the science base required to fully develop 
        the field of health promotion and disease prevention; and
            (2) to explore how strategies can integrate lifestyle 
        improvement programs into national policy, health care 
        workplaces, families, and communities.
                                 <all>