IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 341 

Expressing support for designation of September as National Childhood 

Obesity Awareness Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 

Ms. FUDGE (for herself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. BORDALLO, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 

RENACCI, Mr. JOYCE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. KIND, Mr. WATT, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. BASS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 

Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. CLEAVER, 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. 

JEFFRIES, Ms. CHU, and Ms. DELAURO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of September as National 

Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. 

Whereas during the past four decades, obesity rates have remained high among all age groups, increasing more than 

fourfold among children ages 6 to 11; 

Whereas 31.8 percent or 24,000,000 children and teenagers 

ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that 

health and medical experts consider an epidemic; 


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Whereas significant disparities exist among the obesity rates 

of children based on race and poverty; for example on average 38 percent of Mexican-American children and 34.9 

percent of African-American children ages 2 to 19 are 

overweight or obese, compared with 30.7 percent of 

White children and 39.5 percent of low-income American 

Indian and Alaska Native children ages 2 to 5; 

Whereas the financial implications of childhood obesity pose 

a financial threat to our economy and health care system, 

carrying up to $14,000,000,000 per year in direct health 

care cost, with people in the United States spending 

about 10 percent of their total medical costs on obesityrelated illnesses; 

Whereas obese young people have an 80-percent chance of 

being obese adults and are more likely than children of 

normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and 

therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep 

apnea, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis; 

Whereas in part due to the childhood obesity epidemic, 1 in 

3 children (and nearly 1 in 2 minority children) born in 

the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes at some point 

in their lifetime if current trends continue; 

Whereas some consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are psychosocial and can hinder academic and social 

functioning and persist into adulthood; 

Whereas participating in physical activity is important for 

children and teens as it may have beneficial effects not 

only on body weight, but also on blood pressure and bone 

strength; 


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Whereas proper nutrition is important for children before 

birth and through their life span as nutrition has beneficial effects for health and body weight, and is important 

in the prevention of various chronic diseases; 

Whereas childhood obesity is preventable, yet does not appear 

to be declining; 

Whereas public, community-based, and private sector organizations and individuals throughout the United States are 

working to decrease childhood obesity rates for people in 

the United States of all races through a range of efforts, 

including educational presentations, media campaigns, 

Web sites, policies, healthier food options, and greater 

opportunities for physical activity; and 

Whereas September would be an appropriate month to designate as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month 

to educate the public about the need for increased education and proactive steps to prevent childhood obesity in 

the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of National Child3 hood Obesity Awareness Month to raise public 

4 awareness and mobilize the country to address child5 hood obesity; 

6 (2) recognizes the importance of preventing 

7 childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in 

8 the United States; and 

9 (3) requests that the President encourage the 

10 Federal Government, States, tribes and tribal orga11 nizations, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, 


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1 businesses, other entities, and the people of the 

2 United States to observe the month with appropriate 

3 programs and activities with the goal of promoting 

4 healthy eating and physical activity and increasing 

5 awareness of childhood obesity among individuals of 

6 all ages and walks of life. 

Æ 


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