IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 996 

Expressing support for designation of September as National Childhood 

Obesity Awareness Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2009 

Ms. FUDGE (for herself, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. 

BLUMENAUER, Mrs. BONO MACK, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. 

CASTOR of Florida, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. DEGETTE, 

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HARE, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 

JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KIND, Mr. KIRK, Mr. 

KUCINICH, Mr. MASSA, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, 

Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PLATTS, Ms. RICHARDSON, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

SESTAK, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. ALEXANDER) 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 society in the United States has become 

‘‘obesogenic’’, characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, ‘‘nonhealthful’’ foods, and 

physical inactivity; 

Whereas during the past four decades, obesity rates have 

soared among all age groups, increasing more than fourfold among children ages 6 to 11; 


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Whereas 31.8 percent or 23,000,000 children and teenagers 

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

health and medical experts consider an epidemic; 

Whereas significant disparities exist among the obesity rates 

of children based on race and poverty, for example 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 are overweight or 

obese; 

Whereas the financial implications of childhood obesity pose 

a tremendous 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 9 percent of their total medical costs on 

obesity-related 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 obese children and adolescents 

are targets of early and systematic social discrimination, 


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leading to low self-esteem which, in turn, 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; 

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 key 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, including First Lady Michelle Obama, 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, websites, 

policies, healthier food options, and greater opportunities 

for physical activity; 

Whereas Members of Congress have championed legislation to 

reduce and bring awareness to the issue of childhood obesity; and 

Whereas the American College of Sports Medicine, American 

Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, 

American Heart Association, American Medical Group 

Association, American Sleep Apnea Association, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, American Society 

for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American Society 

for Nutrition, Amerinet, BET Foundation, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Campaign to End Obesity, CanVerDate Nov 24 2008 20:44 Dec 23, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR996.IH HR996

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yon Ranch Institute, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children’s Health Fund, Children’s National Medical Center, Children Now, COSHAR Foundation, First 

Focus, HealthCorps, International Health, Racquet, and 

Sportsclub Association, Medical Fitness Association, National Association of Children’s Hospitals, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, National Association of School Nurses, National Association for Sport and 

Physical Education, National Family Caregivers Association, National Football League (NFL), National Football 

League (NFL) Players Association, National Indian 

Health Board, National Latina Health Network, National 

League of Cities, National Medical Association, Obesity 

Action Coalition, Partnership for Prevention, Richard 

Simmons’ Ask America PE Crusade, ShapeUp America!, 

STOP Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for 

America’s Health, United Way, U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc., Voices for America’s Children, YMCA of the 

USA, and YWCA USA support the designation of September 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 


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1 (3) requests that the President issue a procla2 mation calling on the Federal Government, States, 

3 Tribes and tribal organizations, localities, schools, 

4 nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, 

5 and the people of the United States to observe the 

6 month with appropriate programs and activities with 

7 the goal of promoting healthy eating and physical 

8 activity and increasing awareness of childhood obe9 sity among individuals of all ages and walks of life. 

Æ 


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