I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4941 
To reduce and prevent childhood obesity by encouraging schools and school 
districts to develop and implement local, school-based programs designed 
to reduce and prevent childhood obesity, promote increased physical activ-
ity, and improve nutritional choices. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2004 
Ms. GRANGER (for herself and Mr. HOYER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce and prevent childhood obesity by encouraging 
schools and school districts to develop and implement 
local, school-based programs designed to reduce and pre-
vent childhood obesity, promote increased physical activ-
ity, and improve nutritional choices. 
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 ‘‘Childhood Obesity Re-
duction Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, obesity may soon overtake to-
bacco as the leading preventable cause of death. 
(2) In 1999, 13 percent of children aged 6 to 
11 years and 14 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 
19 years in the United States were overweight. This 
prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the 
past 2 decades. 
(3) Risk factors for heart disease, such as high 
cholesterol and high blood pressure, occur with in-
creased frequency in overweight children and adoles-
cents compared to children with a healthy weight. 
(4) Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an 
adult disease, has increased dramatically in children 
and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely 
linked to type 2 diabetes. 
(5) Obesity in children and adolescents is gen-
erally caused by a lack of physical activity, 
unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of the 
2, with genetics and lifestyle both playing important 
roles in determining a child’s weight. 
(6) Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent 
chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
(7) The 2001 report ‘‘The Surgeon General’s 
Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight 
and Obesity’’ suggested that obesity and its com-
plications were already costing the United States 
$117,000,000,000 annually. 
(8) Substantial evidence shows that public 
health risks can be reduced through increased public 
awareness and community involvement. 
(9) Congress needs to challenge students, teach-
ers, school administrators, and local communities to 
voluntarily participate in the development and imple-
mentation of activities to successfully reduce and 
prevent childhood obesity. 
TITLE 
I—CONGRESSIONAL 
COUNCIL 
ON 
CHILDHOOD 
OBESITY 
SEC. 101. CONGRESSIONAL COUNCIL ON CHILDHOOD OBE-
SITY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL.—There is estab-
lished a ‘‘Congressional Council on Childhood Obesity’’ 
(referred to in this title as the ‘‘Council’’). 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Council shall 
be— 
(1) to encourage every elementary school and 
middle school in the United States, whether public