[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 9, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 412--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2010 AS ``NATIONAL 
                  CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. Voinovich) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 412

       Whereas during the past 4 decades, obesity rates have 
     soared among all age groups, increasing more than four-fold 
     among children ages 6 to 11;
       Whereas 31.8 percent or 23,000,000 children and teenagers 
     ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health 
     and medical experts consider an epidemic;
       Whereas significant disparities exist among the obesity 
     rates of children based on race and poverty;
       Whereas the financial implications of childhood obesity 
     pose a tremendous financial threat to our economy and health 
     care system, carrying up to $14,000,000,000 per year in 
     direct health care cost, with people in the United States 
     spending about 9 percent of their total medical costs on 
     obesity-related illnesses;
       Whereas obese young people have an 80 percent chance of 
     being obese adults and are more likely than children of 
     normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and 
     therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, 
     including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, 
     stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis;
       Whereas in part due to the childhood obesity epidemic, 1 in 
     3 children (and nearly 1 in 2 minority children) born in the 
     year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their 
     lifetime if current trends continue;
       Whereas some consequences of childhood and adolescent 
     obesity are psychosocial and obese children and adolescents 
     are targets of early and systematic social discrimination, 
     leading to low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder 
     academic and social functioning and persist into adulthood;
       Whereas participating in physical activity is important for 
     children and teens as it may have beneficial effects not only 
     on body weight, but also on blood pressure and bone strength;
       Whereas proper nutrition is important for children before 
     birth and through their life-span as nutrition has beneficial 
     effects for health and body weight, and is key in the 
     prevention of various chronic diseases;
       Whereas childhood obesity is preventable yet does not 
     appear to be declining;
       Whereas public, community-based, and private sector 
     organizations and individuals throughout the United States, 
     including First Lady Michelle Obama, are working to decrease 
     childhood obesity rates for people in the United States of 
     all races through a range of efforts, including educational 
     presentations, media campaigns, websites, policies, healthier 
     food options, and greater opportunities for physical 
     activity; and
       Whereas Members of Congress have championed legislation to 
     reduce and bring awareness to the issue of childhood obesity: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 2010 as ``National Childhood 
     Obesity Awareness Month'' in order to raise public awareness 
     and mobilize the country to address childhood obesity;
       (2) recognizes the importance of preventing childhood 
     obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States; 
     and
       (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the Federal Government, States, Tribes and tribal 
     organizations, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, 
     businesses, other entities, and the people of the United 
     States to observe the month with appropriate programs and 
     activities with the goal of promoting healthy eating and 
     physical activity and increasing awareness of childhood 
     obesity among individuals of all ages and walks of life.

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