Text: SCR00014 Text: SCR00016 Text: SCR00000 - SCR00099 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ____
1 2 BY JOHNSON, REDWINE, JENSEN, MADDOX, BOLKCOM,
1 3 HORN, and HARPER
1 4 A Concurrent Resolution declaring the month of May 2001
1 5 as Obesity Awareness Month.
1 6 WHEREAS, obesity is caused by multiple factors,
1 7 including genetic predisposition, environmental, and
1 8 lifestyle factors; and
1 9 WHEREAS, obesity ranks second only to smoking as a
1 10 preventable cause of death and results in some 300,000
1 11 deaths annually; and
1 12 WHEREAS, it is estimated that 35 percent of the
1 13 adult population of the United States is obese, and
1 14 the prevalence of obesity has grown a shocking 34
1 15 percent in the last 10 years; and
1 16 WHEREAS, great concern has also been expressed
1 17 regarding the effect that obesity in children may have
1 18 on their overall health, health care costs, and
1 19 treatment; and
1 20 WHEREAS, a causal relationship exists between
1 21 obesity and a number of serious disorders, including
1 22 hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease,
1 23 type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, respiratory
1 24 dysfunction, gout, and osteoarthritis; and
1 25 WHEREAS, the National Institute of Diabetes and
1 26 Digestive and Kidney Diseases provides information
1 27 that indicates that nearly 80 percent of patients with
1 28 type 2 diabetes are obese, and the incidence of
1 29 symptomatic gallstones soars as a person's body mass
1 30 index increases beyond a certain level; and
2 1 WHEREAS, the information also reveals that nearly
2 2 70 percent of diagnosed cases of cardiovascular
2 3 disease are related to obesity, obesity more than
2 4 doubles a person's chances of developing high blood
2 5 pressure, almost one-half of breast cancer cases are
2 6 diagnosed among obese women, and 42 percent of colon
2 7 cancer cases occur among obese individuals; and
2 8 WHEREAS, the Interdisciplinary Council on Lifestyle
2 9 and Obesity Management indicates that health lifestyle
2 10 modifications should include increased physical
2 11 activity, with an emphasis on moderate forms of
2 12 exertion; and
2 13 WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for state health
2 14 care groups and medical societies to place obesity at
2 15 the top of Iowa's health care agenda; and
2 16 WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health, the
2 17 American Society for Bariatric Surgery, and the
2 18 American Obesity Association recommend that patients
2 19 who are morbidly obese receive responsible, affordable
2 20 medical treatment for their obesity; and
2 21 WHEREAS, the diagnosis of morbid obesity should be
2 22 a clinical decision made by a physician based on
2 23 proper medical protocols; and
2 24 WHEREAS, the recent breakthroughs in drug therapy
2 25 can treat obesity successfully, and the New England
2 26 Journal of Medicine recently emphasized the legitimate
2 27 use of pharmacotherapy as a component of treatment of
2 28 medically significant obesity; and
2 29 WHEREAS, the breakthroughs in obesity treatment are
2 30 not widely known and efforts must be made to inform
3 1 the general public and health care professionals that
3 2 pharmacotherapy can be used as an effective and cost-
3 3 effective treatment for obesity; and
3 4 WHEREAS, it is critical to raise the awareness of
3 5 the public and private sectors that obesity is a
3 6 problem of epidemic proportions that is treatable, and
3 7 that proper treatment will reduce health care costs
3 8 and improve the quality of life for a large number of
3 9 our citizens; NOW THEREFORE,
3 10 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF
3 11 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the General Assembly
3 12 acknowledges obesity as a growing epidemic and
3 13 encourages improvement in awareness and treatment of
3 14 the problems of obesity; and
3 15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the medical community
3 16 and the Iowa Department of Public Health commit to
3 17 combating obesity through a myriad of tools deemed
3 18 appropriate for the individual, including, but not
3 19 limited to, nutrition education, pharmacotherapy, and
3 20 exercise; and
3 21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
3 22 designates the month of May 2001 as Obesity Awareness
3 23 Month.
3 24 LSB 2798SS 79
3 25 vl/cf/24
Text: SCR00014 Text: SCR00016 Text: SCR00000 - SCR00099 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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