[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15415-15416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]





                RECOGNIZING MALNUTRITION AWARENESS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2015

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, this week, September 28, 2015 through 
October 2nd, has been designated as Malnutrition Awareness Week.
  Malnutrition is a problem for millions of Americans nationwide, 
including in my home state of Ohio, and is often ignored in the 
deliverance of healthcare.
  We should recognize this critical, yet often unseen epidemic in our 
country, and fight to eliminate it.
  Hunger, obesity, and food insecurity all contribute to malnourishment 
in our country and disproportionately affects senior citizens and low-
income families.
  In fact, patients with malnutrition have been shown to potentially 
suffer longer hospital stays, have slower healing times, and be at 
greater risk for re-hospitalizations and complications.
  Focusing on malnutrition care will help yield transformative policies 
for patient-centered medical care and make a meaningful difference in 
the lives of our nation's older adults.
  Additionally, systematic malnutrition screenings, assessments, and 
appropriate interventions for older adults are often not accessible, 
but could be vital to leading healthier lives, and result in health 
care cost savings.
  We cannot afford to ignore such low-cost solutions.
  That is why I, along with Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, sent a letter 
to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging improved 
incorporation of nutrition into programs and improvement in patient 
care and outcomes.
  This week, let's have a call to action to increase awareness and find 
solutions that better support the healthy aging of all senior citizens 
and the health of vulnerable families through focusing on eliminating 
malnutrition in our country.
  Healthy citizens mean a healthy society, economy, and future of our 
country.

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