Posted on 08/01/2002 7:02:29 AM PDT by Damocles
By Niala Boodhoo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers on Tuesday plan to introduce a bill that tries to tackle America's weight problem with a host of health measures, especially aimed at helping obese children.
The World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic -- in the United States, 61 percent of adults aged 20 to 74 are considered overweight or obese. About a quarter of American youth are overweight or obese.
"There's a lot of evidence that the lifestyles we have adopted in this country have gotten us into an epidemic of overweight and obese problems," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who is sponsoring the bill along with Connecticut Democrat Christopher Dodd and Tennessee Republican Bill Frist, the first medical doctor in the Senate since 1928.
The Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act, IMPACT, proposes to give health professionals more training on weight issues, fund new parks, bike paths and recreational centers and provide more money for already-existing exercise and nutrition programs in U.S. schools.
The bill would spend more than $200 million to fund new and existing programs.
"This was the result of concern that all of us have shared about the rising incidence of obesity among children, and adolescents," Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat, told Reuters in a recent interview.
In the United States, over 34 percent of people are overweight and 50 million Americans, 27 percent, are considered obese, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Obesity is determined by body mass index (BMI), a calculation that takes into account a person's height, weight and age. According to the U.S. Surgeon General's guidelines for adults 20 years or older, a six-foot tall adult 20 years or older with a weight of 140 to 180 lbs. would be considered healthy, 190 to 210 lbs. overweight and 200 lbs. or more obese.
The Surgeon General's report on weight released last December said that the number of overweight adolescents has tripled over the past two decades. Former Surgeon General David Satcher, who issued the report, said children are weighing more because they are eating higher-fat, lower-nutrition food and exercising less.
Bingaman said he is also co-sponsoring a bill with Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy that would try to limit the sale of soft drinks and other junk food in schools during mealtime.
Texas and California have already proposed legislation that would also limit the sale of snacks in schools.
A GOOD START
Food industry groups, who have fought those efforts and the numerous lawsuits that have been filed against the fast food industry recently, applauded the bill as a "good start."
"It falls in line with a lot of other organizations and people in the food industry are recommending -- promotion of exercise and a balanced diet," said Mike Burita, a spokemans for the Center for Consumer Freedom, which represents 30,000 restaurants and food and beverage suppliers across the country.
But the bill has raised the ire of others who said lawmakers have succumbed to an overblown "obesity hysteria."
"We're fat by choice, not because we're stupid or ignorant. Some of us enjoy stuffing our faces with double-burgers, extra cheese," wrote Sam Ryan in a Chicago Tribune editorial published on Friday.
"We know that fruits and vegetables are healthier for us than ice cream and Cheetos. And we don't need some million-dollar public awareness program to tell us so. We'd rather use that taxpayer money to super-size our Happy Meals." - (LOL!!)
What an overreaction by our illustrious senators. Here's a concept, personal responsibility, try it sometime!
Maybe Robert Mugabe and his fellow African dictators will get recognized by the UN for their successful efforts to combat obesity in their countries.
Why there's nothing our elected representatives won't do to be helpful! They'll spend every dime they have access to, whether we really want what they propose or not.
Another example of why we need to take away the money. Serious tax reduction is badly needed to prevent this wasteful intrusion into our lives, not to mention helping the economy grow itself into high productivity and prosperity.
Gesture? I got a gesture for 'em!
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