[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENDOCRINE SOCIETY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF PUBLIC HEALTH BREAKTHROUGHS

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                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2016

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
the Endocrine Society, in honor of its Centennial anniversary.
  A century ago, a small group of physicians joined together to unlock 
the secrets of the body's hormones--the chemical signals that govern 
breathing, metabolism, growth, reproduction and other critical 
biological functions. They were endocrinologists, and from this 
impassioned gathering, the Endocrine Society was born.
  Over the next 100 years, endocrinologists would discover lifesaving 
treatments and provide quality care for hundreds of millions of people 
with diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid conditions, infertility, sleep 
disorders, hormone-related cancers and many other conditions. Today, 
the Society has more than 18,000 members in 122 countries and is the 
world's oldest and largest organization devoted to hormone research and 
the clinical practice of endocrinology.
  During its centennial year, the Endocrine Society will celebrate 
endocrinology's contributions to science and public health--while 
keeping an eye on today's promising research which will lead to 
tomorrow's discoveries. It will recognize Nobel Prize winners in the 
field (including four Society Past-Presidents) and historic 
breakthroughs such as the 1921 discovery of insulin, which transformed 
diabetes from a death sentence to a manageable chronic condition. In 
April, I am very pleased to recognize, the Endocrine Society will 
conduct its Annual Meeting and Expo, in Boston, Massachusetts. ENDO is 
the world's premier event for getting the latest updates in endocrine 
science and medicine, drawing thousands of endocrinologists from around 
the globe. ENDO 2016 will feature special programming celebrating the 
field's history and notable achievements.
  Because hormones affect nearly every cell of the human body, the work 
of endocrinologists is essential to manage conditions that affect 
millions, including:
  About 415 million adults worldwide who have diabetes, according to 
the International Diabetes Federation;
  More than 36 percent of American adults who are obese, according to 
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
  An estimated 48.5 million couples worldwide who were infertile as of 
2010, according to the World Health Organization; and
  More than 10 million American adults who have osteoporosis, according 
to the Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures report.
  Endocrine Society members have been at the forefront of historic 
accomplishments in medicine and research. I offer my warmest 
congratulations to the Endocrine Society on its celebration of 100 
years of breakthroughs and I look forward to what the next century 
brings.

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