[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING NATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY MONTH

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                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 23, 2011

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September as 
National Childhood Obesity Month. Childhood obesity is one of the 
biggest health challenges facing our country; driving up medical costs, 
hurting our economy, and shortening lives. For the first time our 
children and grandchildren are projected to live shorter and less 
healthy lives than we do. Medical costs associated with obesity total 
more than a billion dollars a year. The price tag will continue to 
increase as our youth face more and more diseases normally only found 
in adult populations, like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and high 
cholesterol. This growing epidemic is driven by environmental, 
economic, and social factors that make fats, salt and sugars cheaper 
and more available than fresh fruits and vegetables and limit the 
opportunities for sports and recreation.
  The good news is that prevention works and by working together we can 
buck this trend. Together, we can improve access to healthier foods, 
increase availability of active transportation for our youth, and 
ensure our communities are walkable.
  We face an uphill battle--according to Washington State's Healthy 
Youth Survey, 24% of 10th graders are either obese or overweight, and 
less than half of children surveyed were getting enough fruits and 
vegetables. Yet already, many leaders and communities in Washington are 
stepping to the plate and are committed to taking on this fight by 
making healthy, important changes. From Moses Lake to Mount Vernon, 
communities are successfully incorporating policies to increase access 
to healthy foods and physical activity. Seattle's Odessa Brown 
Children's Clinic, located in a community where nearly 40% of children 
are overweight or obese, is on the front lines of combating childhood 
obesity. The clinic has successfully integrated childhood obesity 
prevention and treatment program into their primary care to address the 
challenge.
  Childhood obesity prevention should be a top priority. In Congress, I 
worked to pass the Affordable Care Act because I believe an increased 
focus on preventative medicine and increasing access to care will 
improve our nation's health. I also support the Fit Kids Act, to ensure 
that children get enough physical activity. We know what we need to do 
to reverse this alarming national epidemic. It will not be easy, but 
together we can fight the childhood obesity trend.

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