[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 9, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S1511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 97--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

  Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. Burr) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 97

       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
       Resolved, 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.

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