HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

24

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the development of a statewide strategic plan to promote obesity prevention and healthy lifestyles.

 

WHEREAS, when children are overweight, it is typically justified by the general public as a phase children will eventually grow out of as they mature; and

WHEREAS, in actuality, childhood obesity is a serious medical condition often resulting in various weight-related diseases such as asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes; and

WHEREAS, obesity in the United States is a major health issue of the 21st century, with 64.5 percent of the adult population reporting themselves as being overweight and of these, 30.5 percent were obese in 1999-2000; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 44,000,000 Americans were obese in 2001, representing an increase of 74 percent in ten years; and

WHEREAS, of the adult population in Hawaii, 36 percent were overweight and 17.1 percent were obese in 2002; and

WHEREAS, in some communities and populations in Hawaii, childhood obesity is twice the national average for children age six to eleven years, and the prevalence of overweight children in all ethnic groups ages one to four years was above the expected 15 percent; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii spends about $290,000,000, or 4.9 percent, of its total medical expenditures on obesity-related medical conditions; and

WHEREAS, the United States spent an estimated $75,000,000,000 in 2003 for obesity-related medical costs, with more than half of the costs paid by taxpayers through Medicare and Medicaid programs; and

WHEREAS, without the proper information and education, addressing the issue of a child who is overweight or obese can be a challenging task; and

WHEREAS, because childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity, diagnosis is essential so children may receive proper medical treatment to address the current problem and prevent future health risks; and

WHEREAS, promotion of healthy lifestyle choices, including diet and nutrition education and physical activities, help decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity and its related adverse health effects; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health (DOH) is requested to propose and develop a comprehensive statewide strategic plan to address prevention and treatment of childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the:

(1) Department of Education;

(2) Department of Human Services;

(3) University of Hawaii (UH) Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Science;

(4) UH Department of Sports Medicine;

(5) UH School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics;

(6) Hawaii Primary Care Association;

(7) Hawaii Medical Service Association;

(8) Kaiser Permanente;

(9) Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children;

(10) Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition;

(11) Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii; and

(12) Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii,

are requested to assist DOH in the development of the statewide strategic plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOH is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Superintendent of Education, Dean of the UH Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Science, Dean of the UH Department of Sports Medicine, Dean of the UH School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Executive Director of the Hawaii Primary Care Association, President of the Hawaii Medical Service Association, Chief Executive Officer of Kaiser Permanente, Chair of the Kapiolani Pediatric Obesity Task Force, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, Chair of the Board of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, and President of the Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii.

 

Report Title:

Statewide strategic plan to prevent and treat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles.