Senate Approves Bill to Combat Obesity - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On December 9, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (S. 1172) to combat the growing problem of obesity in the United States. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved the measure on October 29 (see The Source, 11/31/03).

Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), the Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity (IMPACT) Act contains a number of congressional findings, including:

an estimated 61 percent of adults and 13 percent of children and adolescents in the nation are overweight or obese;
obesity and being overweight are associated with an increased risk for heart disease (the leading cause of death), cancer (the second leading cause of death), diabetes (the sixth leading cause of death), and musculoskeletal disorders;
the estimated direct and indirect annual cost of obesity in the United States is $117 billion and appears to be rising dramatically;
on the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 7.5 percent of high school girls reported recent use of laxatives or vomiting to control their weight; and
eating disorders of all types are more common in women than men.

IMPACT would authorize $60 million in grants over five years to schools, public health departments, community groups, and others to plan and implement programs that promote healthy eating habits and physical activity. Of that amount, $5 million would be earmarked for programs aimed at preventing and treating eating disorders. The measure would authorize grants to eligible entities to train primary care physicians and other health professionals on how to identify, treat, and prevent obesity and eating disorders. The bill also would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a report on the causes and health implications of obesity and being overweight.

In a statement released by his office, Majority Leader Frist lauded the Senate for taking “a key step to address one of the nation’s fastest growing health care epidemics.” He stated further, “Obesity is for the most part preventable, yet in the last thirty years we’ve continued to see increasing rates of obesity among children and adults. This legislation takes a balanced, comprehensive approach to increase public awareness about how nutrition, physical fitness, and a healthy lifestyle can lower the risks associated with obesity and improve the overall health of our nation.”

Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA) has introduced comparable legislation (H.R. 716) in the House.