IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 35
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning health 
promotion and disease prevention. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2005
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
concerning health promotion and disease prevention.
Whereas the New England Journal of Medicine has reported 
that modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, sed-
entary lifestyle, poor nutrition, unmanaged stress, and 
obesity account for approximately 50 percent of the pre-
mature deaths in the United States; 
Whereas the New England Journal of Medicine has reported 
that spending on chronic diseases related to lifestyle and 
other preventable diseases accounts for an estimated 70 
percent of total health care spending; 
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has 
concluded that the health burden of these behaviors falls 
in greatest proportion on older adults, young children, ra-
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cial and ethnic minorities, and citizens who have less edu-
cation and income; 
Whereas business leaders in the United States have asserted 
that the economic burden of medical care diverts cor-
porate resources from investments that could produce 
greater financial returns, and reduces the wages paid to 
employees; 
Whereas the Office of Management and Budget reports that 
the Medicaid and Medicare programs consume an in-
creasingly large portion of government funding; 
Whereas the American Journal of Public Health reports that 
the financial burden of the Medicare program will in-
crease substantially as the population ages and increasing 
numbers of people are covered by that program; 
Whereas improving the health of the American people and re-
ducing the need for medical services is a viable way to 
control medical care costs for the Nation; 
Whereas the American Journal of Health Promotion reports 
that a growing research base demonstrates that lifestyle 
factors can be modified to improve health, improve the 
quality of life, reduce medical care costs, and enhance 
workplace productivity through health promotion pro-
grams; 
Whereas the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has 
determined that less than 8 percent of health care spend-
ing is devoted to the whole area of public health, only a 
very small portion of which is devoted to health pro-
motion; 
Whereas significant additional work is required to develop the 
basic and applied science of health promotion;
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Whereas additional research is required to clarify the impact 
of health promotion programs on long term health behav-
iors, health conditions, morbidity and mortality, medical 
care utilization and cost, as well as quality of life and 
productivity; 
Whereas the Institute of Medicine has proclaimed that addi-
tional research is required to determine the most effective 
strategies at the individual, organizational, community, 
and societal level to create lasting health behavior 
changes, reduce medical utilization and enhance work-
place productivity; 
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that additional 
research is required to develop strategies to reach all 
groups with special attention focused on older adults, 
young children, racial and ethnic minorities and citizens 
who have less education and income; 
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that significant 
efforts are required to develop standardized management 
and clinical protocols for programs and to disseminate 
these protocols to scientists and practitioners in health 
care, workplace, school, and other community settings; 
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that information 
on the benefits of health promotion programs must be 
disseminated to policy makers in public and private sec-
tor settings; 
Whereas health promotion leaders proclaim that significant 
efforts are required to develop programs to enhance life-
style in school, workplace, health care, and other commu-
nity settings; 
Whereas investments in health promotion contributes directly 
to current efforts of Ending Health Disparities, the
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Leading Health Indicators, and Healthy People 2010; 
and 
Whereas Research!America reports that most American citi-
zens and scientists have shown strong support for in-
creased investment in health promotion: Now, therefore, 
be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘National Health 
Promotion Resolution of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the powers of the Federal Government should be uti-
lized—
(1) to enhance the science base required to fully 
develop the field of health promotion and disease 
prevention; and 
(2) to explore how strategies can integrate life-
style improvement programs into national policy, 
health care workplaces, families, and communities.
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