[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6389-6390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          NATIONAL PHYSICAL FITNESS MONTH AND WELLNESS CAUCUS

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize the 
month of May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Since 1983, 
various individuals and organizations have focused on May as a time to 
promote awareness of the value of physical activity and the pursuit of 
happier, healthier, and more productive lives.

[[Page 6390]]

Chronic diseases, including preventible illnesses like heart disease 
and stroke, cause 70 percent of U.S. deaths and are responsible for 
three-quarters of health care spending. The great majority of these 
conditions are linked to risky health behavior such as obesity and lack 
of exercise.
  Congress should be drawing attention to the benefits of a healthy 
lifestyle and the good work being done by many employers to encourage 
healthy behaviors through workplace wellness programs.
  Mr. Speaker, that's why I am partnering with my colleague, Ron Kind 
from Wisconsin, to create a Congressional Wellness Caucus that I 
encourage my colleagues to join.

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