III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 97 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 9, 2011 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Burr) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Affirming the importance of exercise and physical activity as key components of a healthy lifestyle, including in combating obesity, reducing chronic disease, and lowering health care costs.

Whereas data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that poor diet and physical inactivity cause over 400,000 deaths each year; Whereas data from the Department of Health and Human Services estimate that 68 percent of adults and 16.9 percent of children of the United States are obese or overweight; Whereas obesity is associated with more than 30 medical conditions, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension; Whereas research has clearly demonstrated that increased physical activity can play a direct role in reducing the incidence of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes; Whereas, given the most recent trends in obesity, 1 in 3 children born in the United States in 2000 is expected to develop diabetes over the course of his or her lifetime; Whereas research has estimated that moderate aerobic exercise lowers the adult risk for type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, heart disease by 45 percent, colon cancer by up to 50 percent, and breast cancer by up to 30 percent; Whereas average per capita health spending increased by 40 percent during calendar years 1997 through 2005, but the average per capita spending for the 15 costliest conditions, all associated with obesity, increased 55 percent during those calendar years; Whereas the potential savings in direct medical costs if all inactive American adults engaged in regular physical activity could be as high as $80,000,000,000; Whereas approximately half of the direct medical costs associated with diseases that stem from obesity and inactivity are paid for by the government and the taxpayers of the United States through federally funded programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare; Whereas regular exercise combined with reduced caloric intake has been shown to be most effective in reducing body mass; Whereas, even if an individual does not lose weight, exercise may provide health benefits to that individual, including psychological benefits such as lower rates of stress and anxiety, lower rates of depression, higher self-esteem, and an improved body image; and Whereas new research shows that financial incentives can be used to develop or foster good exercise habits: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)affirms the importance of exercise and physical activity as key components of a healthy lifestyle, including combating obesity, reducing chronic disease, and lowering health care costs; and (2)encourages the development of incentives, including responsible economic incentives, to promote exercise and a more physically active and healthy United States.