IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 708 
Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through September 
23, 2023, as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness Week’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mr. BACON, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. MCGOVERN, 
Mr. LAWLER, Mr. CARSON, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mrs. WATSON 
COLEMAN, and Ms. LEE of Nevada) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, 
and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 
through September 23, 2023, as ‘‘Malnutrition Aware-
ness Week’’. 
Whereas malnutrition is the condition that occurs when a 
person does not get enough protein, calories, or nutrients; 
Whereas malnutrition is a significant problem in the United 
States and around the world, crossing all age, racial, 
class, gender, and geographic lines; 
Whereas malnutrition can be driven by social determinants of 
health, including poverty or economic instability, access 
to affordable health care, and low health literacy; 
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•HRES 708 IH 
Whereas there are inextricable and cyclical links between pov-
erty and malnutrition; 
Whereas the Department of Agriculture defines food insecu-
rity as when a person or household does not have regular, 
reliable access to the foods needed for good health; 
Whereas communities of color, across all age groups, are dis-
proportionately likely to experience both food insecurity 
and malnutrition; 
Whereas Black children are almost 3 times more likely to live 
in a food-insecure household than White children; 
Whereas infants, older adults, people with chronic diseases, 
and other vulnerable populations are particularly at risk 
for malnutrition; 
Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that 
failure to provide key nutrients during early childhood 
may result in lifelong deficits in brain function; 
Whereas disease-associated malnutrition affects between 30 
and 50 percent of patients admitted to hospitals, and the 
medical costs of hospitalized patients with malnutrition 
can be 300 percent more than the medical costs of prop-
erly nourished patients; 
Whereas, according to the ‘‘National Blueprint: Achieving 
Quality Malnutrition Care for Older Adults, 2020 Up-
date’’, as many as half of older adults living in the 
United States are malnourished or at risk for malnutri-
tion; 
Whereas, according to recent Aging Network surveys, 76 per-
cent of older adults receiving meals at senior centers and 
other congregate facilities report improved health out-
comes, and 84 percent of older adults receiving home-de-
livered meals indicate the same; 
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•HRES 708 IH 
Whereas disease-associated malnutrition in older adults alone 
costs the United States more than $51,300,000,000 each 
year; and 
Whereas the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral 
Nutrition established ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness Week’’ to 
raise awareness and promote prevention of malnutrition 
across the lifespan: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That Congress— 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘Malnutrition 
Awareness Week’’; 
(2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists 
and other nutrition professionals, health care pro-
viders, school food service workers, social workers, 
advocates, caregivers, and other professionals and 
agencies for their efforts to advance awareness, 
treatment, and prevention of malnutrition; 
(3) recognizes the importance of existing Fed-
eral nutrition programs, like Older Americans Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) nutrition programs 
and Federal child nutrition programs, for their role 
in combating malnutrition, and supports increased 
funding for these critical programs; 
(4) recognizes— 
(A) the importance of medical nutrition 
therapy under the Medicare Program under 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); and 
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