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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 788 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 788

  Designating the week of September 19 through September 23, 2022, as 
                    ``Malnutrition Awareness Week''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2022

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Designating the week of September 19 through September 23, 2022, 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 communities of color, across all age groups, are disproportionately 
        likely to experience both food insecurity 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 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 ``National Blueprint: Achieving Quality Malnutrition 
        Care for Older Adults, 2020 Update'', as many as \1/2\ of older adults 
        living in the United States are malnourished or at risk for 
        malnutrition;
Whereas, according to recent Aging Network surveys, 76 percent of older adults 
        receiving meals at senior centers and other congregate facilities report 
        improved health outcomes, and 84 percent of older adults receiving home-
        delivered meals indicate the same;
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 across the lifespan: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week of September 19 through September 
        23, 2022, as ``Malnutrition Awareness Week'';
            (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists and other 
        nutrition professionals, health care providers, school 
        foodservice workers, social workers, advocates, caregivers, and 
        other professionals and agencies for their efforts to advance 
        awareness about, treatments for, and the prevention of 
        malnutrition;
            (3) recognizes the importance of existing Federal nutrition 
        programs, such as 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 on--
                    (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the human 
                gastrointestinal microbiome; and
                    (B) how those factors 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 and Medicaid 
        Services to evaluate the implementation of newly-approved 
        malnutrition electronic clinical quality measures; and
            (9) acknowledges--
                    (A) the importance of access to healthy food for 
                children, especially in child care settings and 
                schools; and
                    (B) the benefits of evidence-based nutrition 
                standards.
                                 <all>
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