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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 371 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 371

    Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through 
        September 22, 2023, as ``Malnutrition Awareness Week''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 27 (legislative day, September 22), 2023

 Mr. Murphy (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Blumenthal, and Ms. Hassan) submitted the following resolution; which 
 was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through 
        September 22, 2023, as ``Malnutrition Awareness Week''.

Whereas malnutrition is the condition that occurs when an individual does not 
        get enough protein, calories, or nutrients;
Whereas malnutrition is a significant problem in the United States and around 
        the world, crossing all age, racial, class, gender, and geographic 
        lines;
Whereas malnutrition can be driven by social determinants of health, including 
        poverty or economic instability, access to affordable healthcare, and 
        low health literacy;
Whereas there are inextricable and cyclical links between poverty and 
        malnutrition;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as when an 
        individual or household does not have regular, reliable access to the 
        foods needed for good health;
Whereas communities of color, across all age groups, are disproportionately 
        likely to experience both food insecurity and malnutrition;
Whereas Black children are almost 3 times more likely to live in a food-insecure 
        household than White children;
Whereas infants, older adults, individuals with chronic diseases, and other 
        vulnerable populations are particularly at risk for malnutrition;
Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that failure to provide key 
        nutrients during early childhood may result in lifelong deficits in 
        brain function;
Whereas disease-associated malnutrition affects between 30 and 50 percent of 
        patients admitted to hospitals, and the medical costs of hospitalized 
        patients with malnutrition can be 300 percent more than the medical 
        costs of properly nourished patients;
Whereas, according to the report entitled ``National Blueprint: Achieving 
        Quality Malnutrition Care for Older Adults, 2020 Update'' of the 
        Malnutrition Quality Collaborative, as many as \1/2\ of older adults 
        living in the United States are malnourished or at risk for 
        malnutrition;
Whereas, according to recent surveys conducted by the Aging Network--

    (1) 76 percent of older adults receiving meals at senior centers and 
other congregate facilities report improved health outcomes; and

    (2) 84 percent of older adults receiving home-delivered meals indicate 
improved health outcomes;

Whereas disease-associated malnutrition in older adults alone costs the United 
        States more than $51,300,000,000 each year; and
Whereas the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition established 
        ``Malnutrition Awareness Week'' to raise awareness about, and promote 
        the prevention of, malnutrition throughout the lifespan: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the designation of ``Malnutrition Awareness 
        Week'';
            (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists and other 
        nutrition professionals, health care providers, school food 
        service workers, social workers, advocates, caregivers, and 
        other professionals and agencies for their efforts to advance 
        awareness about, treatment for, and prevention of malnutrition;
            (3) recognizes the importance of Federal nutrition 
        programs, including the nutrition programs under title III of 
        the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) and 
        Federal child nutrition programs, for their role in combating 
        malnutrition;
            (4) supports increased funding for the critical programs 
        described in paragraph (3);
            (5) recognizes--
                    (A) the importance of medical nutrition therapy 
                under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); and
                    (B) the need for vulnerable populations to have 
                access to nutrition counseling;
            (6) recognizes the importance of the innovative research 
        conducted by the National Institutes of Health relating to--
                    (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the human 
                gastrointestinal microbiome; and
                    (B) how the factors described in subparagraph (A) 
                influence the prevention or development of chronic 
                disease throughout the lifespan;
            (7) supports access to malnutrition screening and 
        assessment for all patients;
            (8) encourages the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
        to evaluate the implementation of newly approved malnutrition 
        electronic clinical quality measures; and
            (9) acknowledges the importance of access to healthy food 
        for children, especially in childcare settings and schools, and 
        the benefits of evidence-based nutrition standards.
                                 <all>
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