SR0438 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0438 LRB093 21042 NHT 47625 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Pursuant to House Resolution 147, the Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the State Board of Education, has conducted a sugar consumption study to determine the effect of sugar consumption on the overall health of school children; and

WHEREAS, The January 2004 study, which reviewed the literature on the relationships between increased sugar consumption in children's diets and health outcomes, found no clear, direct link between cavities and modest school-age consumption of sugared soft drinks; and

WHEREAS, As a result of such lack of data, the Department of Public Health is currently conducting a statewide survey to collect current cavities' data; and

WHEREAS, The study has found that an inactive lifestyle and sedentary behavior is troubling and has a deleterious effect on childhood obesity and its health-related consequences; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Health's report on sugar consumption stated a suggestion to "create a Nutritional Advisory Committee to recommend state-wide school standards for nutrition including formulating a state-wide policy on vending machines in all schools"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recommend the creation of the Nutrition Advisory Committee, to be made up of 15 members as follows: the President of the Senate or designee, the Minority Leader of the Senate or designee, the Speaker of the House or designee, the Minority Leader of the House or designee, the Director of Public Health or designee, and the State Superintendent of Education or designee; and the following appointed by the Governor: 2 representatives of the soft drink industry, 2 representatives of the non-beverage snack food industry, one representative of the Illinois State Dental Society, one licensed dietician who works with school-age children, one physical education instructor who works with school-age children, one representative of the Illinois Coaches Association, and one member of the Illinois Association of School Boards; and be it further

RESOLVED, That Committee members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose, that the Committee shall meet initially at the joint call of the 4 legislative leaders, that the Committee shall select one member as chairperson at its initial meeting and thereafter meet at the call of the chairperson, that the Committee shall receive the assistance of staff of the Department of Public Health, and that the Committee shall report its findings and recommendations concerning school standards for nutrition to the General Assembly on or before September 1, 2005; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the House, the Director of Public Health, the State Superintendent of Education, and the Governor.