RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, when children are overweight it is typically underestimated 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 an estimated two-thirds of the adult population reporting themselves as being overweight (64.5 percent) and of these, one-third were obese (30.5 percent) in 1999-2000; and

WHEREAS, an estimated forty-four million Americans were obese in 2001, representing an increase of seventy-four percent in ten years; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii more than one-half (53.1 percent) of the adult population was overweight (thirty-six percent) or obese (17.1 percent) 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 fifteen 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 Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health 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 Department of Education, Department of Human Services, University of Hawaii Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Science, University of Hawaii Department of Sports Medicine, University of Hawaii School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, and Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii are requested to assist the Department of Health in the development of the statewide strategic plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty 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, University of Hawaii Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Science, University of Hawaii Department of Sports Medicine, and University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, and Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii.

Report Title:

Statewide strategic plan to promote obesity prevention AND healthy lifestyles.