I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4604 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national program 
to conduct and support activities toward the goal of significantly reducing 
the number of cases of overweight and obesity among individuals in 
the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2012 
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
a national program to conduct and support activities 
toward the goal of significantly reducing the number 
of cases of overweight and obesity among individuals 
in the United States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lifelong Improvements 
in Food and Exercise Act’’ or the ‘‘LIFE Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
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(1) Currently, 64.5 percent of adults, age 20 
years and older, are either overweight or obese and 
35.7 million (more than one-third of the adult popu-
lation) are obese. 
(2) Among adults who were 20 to 74 years of 
age, the prevalence of obesity increased from 15.0 
percent in 1976 through 1980 to 32.9 percent in 
2003 through 2004. 
(3) During 2003 through 2004, of children and 
adolescents who were 2 to 19 years of age, more 
than 12,500,000 (or 17.1 percent) were overweight. 
(4) Since 1980, the percentage of children who 
are obese has more than doubled and the percentage 
of adolescents who are obese has more than tripled. 
(5) More than one-third of adults do not get 
enough physical activity and adults have increased 
their caloric consumption. 
(6) The rising rates of obesity portend greater 
disease and health conditions, including hyper-
tension, high total cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, coro-
nary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, 
osteoporosis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and 
some cancers, such as endometrial, breast, and 
colon. 
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(7) Many underlying factors have been linked to 
the increase in obesity, such as increased portion 
sizes; eating out more often; increased consumption 
of sugar-sweetened drinks; increased television, com-
puter, and electronic gaming time; changed labor 
markets; and fear of crime, which prevents outdoor 
exercise. 
(8) Chronic diseases account for 70 percent of 
all deaths each year. Although chronic diseases are 
among the most common and costly health problems, 
they are also among the most preventable. Adopting 
a healthy lifestyle, such as eating nutritious foods 
and engaging in physical activity, can prevent or 
control the devastating effects of these diseases. 
(9) In 2008, overall medical costs related to 
obesity for adults were estimated to be as high as 
$147 billion. People who were obese had medical 
costs that were on average $1,429 greater than such 
costs for people of normal body weight. 
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN PREVALENCE OF OBESITY; PRO-
GRAM FOR LIFELONG IMPROVEMENTS IN 
FOOD AND EXERCISE. 
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 317T the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 317U. REDUCTION IN PREVALENCE OF OBESITY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, shall carry out a national program to conduct and 
support activities regarding individuals who are over-
weight or obese in order to make progress toward the goal 
of significantly reducing the number of cases of overweight 
and obesity among individuals in the United States. 
‘‘(b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall (directly or through grants 
or contracts) carry out the following with respect to indi-
viduals who are overweight: 
‘‘(1) Activities to train health professionals to 
recognize that patients are overweight and to rec-
ommend prevention activities regarding such condi-
tion, including educating patients on the relationship 
between such condition and cardiovascular disease, 
diabetes and other health conditions, and on proper 
nutrition and regular physical activities. 
‘‘(2) Activities to educate the public with re-
spect to the condition of being overweight, including 
the development of a strategy for a public awareness 
campaign. 
‘‘(3) The development and demonstration of 
intervention strategies for use at worksites and in 
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community settings such as hospitals and commu-
nity health centers. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2013, and 
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 
2014 through 2016.’’. 
Æ 
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