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. RICH-
ARDSON, Ms. LORETTA
SANCHEZ
of California, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 
SESTAK, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. ALEXANDER) submitted the following reso-
lution; 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 pro-
mote 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 four- 
fold 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 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 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 aca-
demic 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 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 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, 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 obe-
sity; 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, Amer-
ican Society of Bariatric Physicians, American Society 
for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American Society 
for Nutrition, Amerinet, BET Foundation, Black Wom-
en’s Health Imperative, Campaign to End Obesity, Can-
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yon Ranch Institute, Center for Science in the Public In-
terest, Children’s Health Fund, Children’s National Med-
ical Center, Children Now, COSHAR Foundation, First 
Focus, HealthCorps, International Health, Racquet, and 
Sportsclub Association, Medical Fitness Association, Na-
tional Association of Children’s Hospitals, National Asso-
ciation of Chronic Disease Directors, National Associa-
tion of School Nurses, National Association for Sport and 
Physical Education, National Family Caregivers Associa-
tion, 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 Medi-
cine, Inc., Voices for America’s Children, YMCA of the 
USA, and YWCA USA support the designation of Sep-
tember as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month 
to educate the public about the need for increased edu-
cation 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 Child-
hood Obesity Awareness Month to raise public 
awareness and mobilize the country to address child-
hood obesity; 
(2) recognizes the importance of preventing 
childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in 
the United States; and 
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(3) requests that the President issue a procla-
mation calling on the Federal Government, States, 
Tribes and tribal organizations, localities, schools, 
nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, 
and the people of the United States to observe the 
month with appropriate programs and activities with 
the goal of promoting healthy eating and physical 
activity and increasing awareness of childhood obe-
sity among individuals of all ages and walks of life. 
Æ 
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