HR0582 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0582 LRB096 13558 GRL 28317 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives and State Representative Monique D. Davis resolve to find proper solutions to the problems that face the citizens of our State and the nation; and

WHEREAS, Recent studies by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults are currently overweight or obese; and

WHEREAS, In addition to possible psychological repercussions, obesity can lead to numerous health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, knee and joint problems, various types of cancer, and death; 300,000 deaths each year in the United States are associated with obesity; and

WHEREAS, Studies from the University of New Hampshire have found that 18 to 24 year olds are on the path toward chronic health diseases; the studies found that, from a group of more than 800 undergraduates, at least one-third of UNH students were overweight or obese, 8 percent of men had metabolic syndrome, 60 percent of men had high blood pressure, and more than two-thirds of women were not meeting their nutritional needs for iron, calcium, or folate; and

WHEREAS, The prevalence rate of obesity in college students has doubled over the past 10 years; the rise is partly attributed to an increasing number of colleges and universities contracting meals out to fast food chains, such as McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, or Taco Bell; and

WHEREAS, There is an absence of fresh and healthy food choices at many universities in the United States and a lack of understanding of how unhealthy food choices lead to health problems; and

WHEREAS, The United States government, like the Illinois General Assembly, has a responsibility to provide for the safety and welfare of the citizenry; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States President and Congress to pass legislation that would regulate the nutritional content of the food that universities, particularly historically black universities, offer to their students on campus in order to decrease the nation's obesity problems; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to President Barack Obama and the members of the Illinois congressional delegation.