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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, According to statistics from the Center for
3 Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of American adults
4 are overweight or obese; the rates of obesity have doubled in
5 children and tripled in teens since 1980; 24.9% of Illinoisans
6 are considered obese; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart
8 disease, stroke, and other health problems; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Over the past two decades, there has been a
10 significant increase in the number of meals prepared and eaten
11 outside the home and eaten at restaurants and other
12 food-service establishments; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Food Stamp Program was designed to help end
14 hunger and improve nutrition and health; the program helps
15 low-income households buy the food they need for a
16 nutritionally adequate diet; the program is managed by the Food
17 and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of
18 Agriculture; the Department of Human Services administers the
19 program in Illinois; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The federal government mandates which foods may be
21 purchased under the program; the federal government specifies

 

 

SR0272 - 2 - LRB096 12869 GRL 26661 r

1 that food stamp benefits can be used to buy any food or food
2 product for human consumption, plus seeds and plants for use in
3 home gardens to produce food; therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
5 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United
6 States Congress to start a waiver program to prohibit the use
7 of food stamps to purchase foods of minimal nutritional value
8 as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and
9 Nutrition Service; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11 presented to the members of the Illinois congressional
12 delegation.