[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 109 (Tuesday, September 14, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9222-S9223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LUGAR (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bunning, Mr. 
        Campbell, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs, Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Graham 
        of South Carolina, and Mr. Jeffords):
  S. 2798. A bill to provide for increased planning and funding for 
health promotion programs of the Department of Health and Human 
Services; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Health 
Promotion FIRST (Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis and Training) 
Act, legislation to provide the foundation for solid planning and a 
scientific base for health promotion.
  Between one half and two-thirds of premature deaths in the United 
States and much of our health care costs are caused by just three risk 
factors: poor diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco. Recent news 
reports have highlighted the alarming increase in obesity across the 
Nation. In the last 10 years, obesity rates have increased by more than 
60 percent among adults--with approximately 59 million adults 
considered obese today.
  We also know that medical costs are directly related to lifestyle 
risk factors. The September 2000 issue of the American Journal of 
Health Promotion reported that approximately 25 percent of all employer 
medical costs are caused by lifestyle factors. Emerging research is 
showing the value may be closer to 50 percent today.
  Medical care costs are reaching crisis levels. Some major employers 
are actively exploring discontinuing medical insurance coverage if 
costs are not controlled. The Federal Government has the same cost 
problems with its own employees, and the cost to Medicare of lifestyle-
related diseases will only increase as Baby Boomers retire, and more 
and more beneficiaries are diagnosed with lifestyle-related illnesses.
  An obvious first step to addressing our health and medical cost 
problems is to help people stay healthy.
  The good news is that both the public and private sectors are 
starting to do more in the area of health prevention and health 
promotion. For instance, the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 
included several new prevention initiatives for Medicare beneficiaries.
  Also in recent years Congress and the Administration have worked 
together to pass numerous pieces of legislation to establish grants to 
provide health services for improved nutrition, increased physical 
activity, and obesity prevention.
  However, despite the success of many health promotion programs, there 
is a quality gap between the best programs and typical programs. This 
occurs because most professionals are not aware of the best practice 
methods. Furthermore, even the best programs reach a small percentage 
of the population and do poorly in creating lasting change.
  The Health Promotion FIRST Act will build the foundation for a stable 
coordinated strategy to develop the basic and applied science of health 
promotion, synthesize research results and disseminate findings to 
researchers, practitioners and policy makers.
  The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to 
develop strategic plans focusing on the following: how to develop the 
basic and applied science of health promotion; how to best utilize the 
authority and resources of the Department of Health and Human Services 
and other federal agencies to integrate health promotion concepts into 
health care and other elements of society; how to synthesize health 
promotion research into practical guidelines that can be easily 
disseminated and; how to foster a strong health workforce for health 
promotion activities.

[[Page S9223]]

  Additional funding is also provided for the Centers for Disease 
Control and the National Institutes of Health to augment current 
activities related to health promotion research and dissemination.
  We have made a good start, at the Federal level, in addressing the 
needs of health promotion. However, we need to go further. I believe 
this legislation will serve as a good basis for Congress and the 
administration to take the next step in developing health promotion 
programs for the next decade.
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