[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 140 (Tuesday, September 20, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1664-E1665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING MOVEMENT IS LIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2011

  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 2011 National 
Caucus on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health Disparities and Movement 
is Life. This body may not know that arthritis is the number one cause 
of disability in the United States, according to the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), affecting 46 million Americans, 
and costs the U.S economy $128 billion annually in medical costs and 
lost wages. The burden of arthritis falls more acutely on some members 
of our population, and African Americans and Latinos, and women of all 
backgrounds, face more severe osteoarthritis and disability, yet 
receive less than optimal access to diagnostic, medical, and surgical 
intervention than do other groups.
  Additionally, there is a lack of awareness about the connection 
between musculoskeletal health disparities, increasing physical 
inactivity levels, and disparities in chronic diseases such as 
diabetes, obesity, and heart disease among women, African-Americans and 
Latinos. The Movement is Life Work Group Caucus has been established, 
and the second annual meeting is currently underway in Washington, 
D.C., to develop action plans aimed at reducing musculoskeletal health 
disparities. By promoting early intervention, the

[[Page E1665]]

Caucus seeks to slow musculoskeletal disease progression, reduce 
disability, and encourage physical activity and daily movement in order 
to improve the health of those currently disadvantaged as well as the 
overall health of the nation.
  I was introduced to the Movement is Life initiative by its co-chair 
Dr. Ibrahim; a Core Investigator with the VA Center for Health Equity 
Research and Promotion, Chief of Medicine at the Philadelphia Medical 
Center, and Professor and Vice Chair of Medicine at the University of 
Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His work on understanding and 
intervening on racial disparity in access and utilization of joint 
replacement in the management of knee/hip osteoarthritis provides a 
national model for advancing health disparities research from first-
generation studies that detected disparities in care, to second-
generation studies exploring the reasons for these disparities, to the 
first-ever third-generation intervention trial to reduce well-
documented disparity.
  I commend Dr. Ibrahim and Movement is Life on their second annual 
meeting, and for their efforts in creating a dialogue which draws 
attention to these health disparities that continue to impact our 
national economy and many lives around the country. I strongly 
encourage all to discuss musculoskeletal issues with their doctors and 
to participate in physical activity and daily movement in order to 
limit the exasperation of related chronic diseases and lead an 
independent, productive, and healthy lifestyle.

                          ____________________