[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TO ACKNOWLEDGE SEPTEMBER AS CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH

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                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 23, 2011

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge September as 
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Increasing awareness of this 
pervasive problem can help curb the increase in this epidemic and help 
families and children make better choices in the foods they eat and 
their overall lifestyle.
  Over the past three decades, the rate of childhood obesity has risen 
to crisis proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 32 percent of children are overweight, 16 percent are 
obese, and 11 percent are extremely obese. In some racial and ethnic 
groups, in low-income populations, and among recent immigrants, the 
rates of obesity among children and youth are alarmingly high.
  The health consequences for these children are very serious. They are 
at much greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood 
pressure, asthma, and other diseases than their non-obese peers. Many 
children are subjected to ridicule and bullying that damages their 
emotional well-being. Beyond the tragic consequences for the children 
themselves are the effects on the American economy. Obese children are 
at risk of growing into obese adults who do not participate fully in 
the workforce because of employment discrimination, lost productivity 
due to illness and disability, and premature death. If the childhood 
obesity epidemic continues at its current rate, conditions related to 
type 2 diabetes, such as blindness, coronary artery disease, stroke, 
and kidney failure, may become common conditions of middle age. Health 
care costs for this population are likely to rise to an extent we are 
only now beginning to appreciate.
  As a nation, we need to make sure that our young people receive a 
consistent message that encourages them to adopt healthful eating 
patterns; helps them to understand their nutritional needs; and teaches 
them healthy lifestyle choices, especially relating to physical 
activity.
  We can, and we simply must, make addressing childhood obesity a 
national priority. Not only must we help the children who are already 
affected, we must not fail to protect another generation. Health is 
more than the absence of physical or mental illness--it is also the 
extent to which children and youth have the capacity to reach their 
full potential.

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