H. Res. 996 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
May 20, 2010. 
Whereas during the past four decades, obesity rates have 
soared among all age groups, increasing more than four-
fold among children ages 6 to 11; 
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 on av-
erage 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 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
•HRES 996 EH 
therefore more at risk for associated adult health prob-
lems, 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 obe-
sity 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; 
Whereas proper nutrition is important for children before 
birth and through their life span as nutrition has bene-
ficial 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 organi-
zations and individuals throughout the United States, in-
cluding First Lady Michelle Obama, are working to de-
crease 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 America on the Move, American Beverage Associa-
tion, American College of Sports Medicine, American Di-
abetes Association, American Dietetic Association, Amer-
•HRES 996 EH 
ican Heart Association, American Medical Association, 
American Medical Group Association, American Sleep 
Apnea Association, American Society of Bariatric Physi-
cians, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Sur-
gery, American Society for Nutrition, American Society 
of Landscape Architects, Amerinet, BET Foundation, 
Black Leadership Forum, Black Women’s Health Imper-
ative, Campaign to End Obesity, Canyon Ranch Insti-
tute, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children’s 
Health Fund, Children’s National Medical Center, Chil-
dren Now, COSHAR Foundation, First Focus, Grocery 
Manufacturers Association, Healthcare Leadership Coun-
cil, HealthCorps, Healthways, International, Health, Rac-
quet, and Sportsclub Association, Medical Fitness Asso-
ciation, NAACP, National Association of Children’s Hos-
pitals, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 
National Association of School Nurses, National Associa-
tion for Sport and Physical Education, National Black 
Nurses Association, National Collaboration for Youth, 
National Congress of Black Women, Inc., National Coun-
cil of Urban Indian Health, National Family Caregivers 
Association, National Football League, National Football 
League Players Association, National Indian Health 
Board, National Latina Health Network, National 
League of Cities, National Medical Association, National 
Recreation and Park Association, Nemours, Obesity Ac-
tion Coalition, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, 
Partnership for Prevention, PepsiCo, Richard Simmons’ 
Ask America PE Crusade, Safe Routes to School Na-
tional Partnership, ShapeUp America!, STOP Obesity Al-
liance, The Coca-Cola Company, The Obesity Society, 
Trust for America’s Health, United Fresh Produce Asso-
ciation, United Way, University Hospitals Rainbow Ba-
•HRES 996 EH 
bies & Children’s Hospital, U.S. Conference of Mayors, 
U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc., Voices for America’s Chil-
dren, YMCA of the USA, YWCA USA, and other organi-
zations support the designation of September as National 
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to educate the pub-
lic about the need for increased education and proactive 
steps to prevent childhood obesity in the United States: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of National Childhood 
Obesity Awareness Month to raise public awareness and 
mobilize the country to address childhood obesity; 
(2) recognizes the importance of preventing child-
hood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United 
States; and 
(3) requests that the President encourage the Fed-
eral Government, States, tribes and tribal organizations, 
localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, 
other entities, and the people of the United States to ob-
serve the month with appropriate programs and activi-
ties with the goal of promoting healthy eating and phys-
ical activity and increasing awareness of childhood obe-
sity among individuals of all ages and walks of life. 
Attest: 
Clerk.