Part One: Letter to Elected Official
Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Klobuchar,
I am writing to encourage you to vote YES to the H.R. 3468 bill: Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities and Individuals Act of 2009. Obesity has become a rising crisis in our country and has risen 60% in the past 20 years according to the CDC. An even more shocking statistic is that the rates among children in the U.S have tripled in the past 30 years.
Obesity is not only linked with a plethora of health problems such as, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes, but also financial problems. In the year 2000, the estimated cost of obesity was $117 billion in the United States. In the workplace obesity is linked to the loss of productivity and working days due to the health problems of the employees associated with their weight. Obesity also exceeds health-care costs associated with smoking and problems drinking and accounts for 6-12% of national health care expenditures. In addition, the annual hospital costs for treating obesity-related diseases in children rose to $127 million.
Governmental action and community contribution is key in promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the obesity rates in our youth. The proposed bill, H.R. 3468, will bring about opportunities that teach the dietary guidelines, how to read food labels and identify patterns that can help educators tailor programs to manage weight and reduce threats of chronic illness. It would also ensure the implementation of policies and programs that emphasize healthy actions in youth. By offering health promotion and awareness services, together we can educate our society about the problems associated with obesity.
I appreciated the time you have given to hear my concern. Please agree to support this proposed bill to make an impact in the lives of the citizens you promised to serve. I have a firm belief that passing this bill will ensure the proper promotion of health and reduction of chronic disease associated with diet and weight in our suffering citizens.
Thank you for taking the time to read about the importance of voting YES to H.R. 3468.
Sincerely,
Katie Gruber
(contact information)
Part 2: Obesity Fact Sheet
What is obesity?
What is obesity?
Obesity is defined as having a greater weight than the recommended number based on your height. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Overweight and obesity is having abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.” They also classify obesity as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) as 30 or higher. BMI is designed to classify the standard of weight vs. height in the average adult.
Facts on Obesity
The WHO indicates that roughly 1.6 billion adults, ages 15 and older, were overweight. In addition, at least 400 million adults globally were categorized as being obese. “The WHO projects that by the year 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese.” In 2005, the number of overweight children under 5 years of age was a minimum of 20 million.
What is the cause of obesity?
The WHO demes the main cause of obesity as an energy imbalance between the amount of calories being consumed and the amount of calories being used up. Several factors are believed to be connected to the increase of obesity. These include a shift in diet towards higher intake of foods that are high in fat and sugar and low in nutrients and lower physical activity levels due to the increase in inactive demands from work and transportation options.
What are the consequences?
Serious consequences come from obesity. The more overweight one is the higher their risk for developing certain chronic diseases is. These would include cardiovascular disease, which is the world’s number one cause of death adding up to 17 million deaths every year; diabetes, the next epidemic predicted to increase by 50% worldwide in the next 10 years; Musculoskeletal disorders; and some cancers such as endometrial, breast and colon.
How can you prevent obesity?
- Reduce the amount of time spent sitting and watching television.
- Add at least ½ hour of physical activity to your daily routine.
- Consume foods that are low in fat, calories and added sugars and replace them with high fiber, protein and nutritional foods.
- Promote healthy eating habits by consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, while using proper portion sizes.
- Maintain a proper balance between the calories consumed and the calories expended each day.
- Create more chances for physical activities among your workplace and the surrounding communities.
Obesity IS a problem in our society.
Find out how you can become involved to stop this epidemic.
Contact Fit City Duluth (218) 722-3787 or at info@fitcityduluth.com
Information provided by the World Health Organization and the Center of Disease Control
This is a great bill I think! You would think most people would understand most of the factors that come with maintaining a healthy weight but that is not the case! People need to be taught facts and given helpful tips in order to be further inclined to maintain a healthy weight.
ReplyDeleteYou did very well on your letter, and especially the fact sheet. There is valid, hard evidence to support your position, and I think you presented it very professionally. The issue of obesity is a rising concern, and this representative would be insane not to consider passing this bill
ReplyDeleteI agree, obesity is a huge problem in our society. You provided very strong evidence to portray how much this problem is affecting people and the risky things it can cause. Good job including a resource for people who want to get fit or stay fit, some people don't always know the right places to go to get good information!
ReplyDeletePrevention, prevention, prevention. We have lost that entire step and have become obsessed with the actual rehabilitation (pills, drugs, procedures). PREVENTION IS ALWAYS CHEAPER THAN REHABILITATION
ReplyDeleteYes, obesity is an issue, a dirty, expensive issue. It's sad to hear that it is increasing so much in children and teens, it makes you wonder what the parents are thinking, if they are at all. And yes I agree with Jamie, prevention is always cheaper than rehabilitation, that about sums it up!
ReplyDeleteIt's great that so many people within our group used obesity to choose which bills they wrote about. It clearly is a big problem in the United States. I cannot believe that the child obesity rate has tripled! That seems crazy to me. I hope that this bill, or one like it, gets passed so we can start moving our country in the right direction!
ReplyDelete