[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of National Public Health 
Week. I want to thank the organizers and sponsors of events around the 
nation that serve to raise everyone's awareness of the need to improve 
public health, particularly in the area of the nation's obesity crisis. 
Those groups include the American Public Health Association, American 
Dietetic Association, Pfizer Inc., Association of American Medical 
Colleges, Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, 
Research!America, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
  One of the greatest public health challenges facing our Nation today 
is curbing obesity, which has increased at such unprecedented levels 
that health professionals are calling obesity a national epidemic. 
Spurred by sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets, about 60 percent 
of American adults are overweight and 15 percent of children and 
teenagers are overweight. The percentage of overweight adolescents has 
tripled during the last twenty years.
  Although I am pleased that the numbers in my home state are slightly 
better, the percentage of the population that is obese is still 
troubling. What is even more troubling is the research that indicates 
that obesity is an even greater problem among the African-American and 
Latino communities.
  The health consequences of obesity are real and significant. Being 
overweight is associated with increased risk for heart disease, cancer, 
and diabetes. About 300,000 deaths each year are associated with being 
obese. In fact, people who are overweight have a 50 to 100 percent 
increased risk of premature death. As the American Public Health 
Association stated in their release, ``reversing this life threatening 
trend has moved beyond a matter of personal responsibility to a 
national crisis that all Americans must respond to.''
  Unfortunately, we are moving in the wrong direction. Less than ten 
percent of children walk or ride their bicycles to school and more 
schools are inviting fast food vendors into their cafeterias. We need 
to make a concerted effort to increase physical fitness activities 
among the entire population, especially children, and encourage all 
Americans to adopt a healthier diet that includes fruits and 
vegetables. I applaud the work of all of the organizations that are 
spreading this message during National Public Health Week. However, if 
we are going to be successful in reducing obesity, we must make sure 
that this message is heard the entire year and not just for one week.
  That is why I will soon reintroduce my bill, the Medicaid Obesity 
Treatment Act. I hope to work with all of the sponsors involved with 
National Public Health Week to ensure passage of my bill in this 
Congress.

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