HR272.DOC

WHEREAS, the 2010 Hawaii Diabetes Plan states that more than 110,000 persons in Hawaii have diabetes and that approximately 39,000 of said persons do not yet know of their illness; and

WHEREAS, the Plan further states that many diabetes-related complications can be prevented or reduced through improved self-care, early detection and early treatment; and

WHEREAS, the Plan is created within the Department of Health, by the Hawaii Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, information for the requested update will be easily accessible to the Department; and

WHEREAS, the Plan states that research conducted by the Center for Disease Control suggests a strong link between the development of diabetes and a person's lifestyle behaviors, such as obesity, treatment of pre-diabetes should be a priority for the Department; and

WHEREAS, the Department considers the effective treatment of obesity an issue of significant importance, and openly acknowledges the urgency of need for an intervention in healthcare settings, such that the number of persons with obesity and other prevalent pre-diabetes conditions be reduced; and

WHEREAS, the Plan estimates that direct medical costs, such as medical expenditures, average nearly 2.4 times more for persons with diabetes, in contrast to those without; and

WHEREAS, the State is currently facing substantial projected budgetary shortfalls that could impede the development of an obesity prevention pilot program, or any other program with similar intent; and

WHEREAS, the Department has acknowledged the Hawaii obesity epidemic, and has stated that it is currently being addressed through the efforts of programs such as the Healthy Hawaii Initiative and the Family Health Services Division, but has not provided evidence of their progress to date; and

WHEREAS, the requested update will benefit residents of the State of Hawaii by providing strategic information to State lawmakers, who concur with the Department on their fiscal concerns in regards to unknown costs associated with the implementation of an obesity prevention pilot program; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the Department of Health shall provide a written update to the Legislature containing the current strategies for addressing the diabetes epidemic, an estimate of the costs incurred as a result of the successful implementation of an obesity prevention pilot program, and a description of the innovative solutions that will address the pre-diabetes problem; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department's report shall be submitted to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 regular session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Director of the State Department of Health, the Director of the State Department of Human Services, the Director of the Department of Education, the Director of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the President of the University of Hawaii.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Requesting from DOH an update or report on their action plan to address the Hawaii diabetes epidemic.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	272
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII