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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Obesity is caused by multiple factors, including
3 genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and lifestyle
4 factors; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Obesity ranks second only to smoking as a
6 preventable cause of death; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Great concern has also been expressed regarding
8 the effect that obesity in children may have on their overall
9 health, health care costs, and treatment; and
 
10     WHEREAS, A causal relationship exists between obesity and a
11 number of serious disorders, including hypertension,
12 dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes,
13 gallbladder disease, respiratory dysfunction, gout, and
14 osteoarthritis; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
16 and Kidney Diseases provides information that indicates that
17 nearly 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes are obese, and the
18 incidence of symptomatic gallstones soars as a person's body
19 mass index increases beyond a certain level; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The information also reveals that nearly 70% of
21 diagnosed cases of cardiovascular disease are related to
22 obesity, obesity more than doubles a person's chances of
23 developing high blood pressure, almost one-half of breast
24 cancer cases are diagnosed among obese women, and 42% of colon
25 cancer cases occur among obese individuals; and
 
26     WHEREAS, There is an urgent need for State health care
27 groups and medical societies to place obesity at the top of
28 Illinois' health care agenda; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health, the American
2 Society for Bariatric Surgery, and the American Obesity
3 Association recommend that patients who are morbidly obese
4 receive responsible, affordable medical treatment for their
5 obesity; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The diagnosis of morbid obesity should be a
7 clinical decision made by a physician based on proper medical
8 protocols; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The recent breakthroughs in drug therapy can treat
10 obesity successfully, and the New England Journal of Medicine
11 has emphasized the legitimate use of pharmacotherapy as a
12 component of treatment of medically significant obesity; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The breakthroughs in obesity treatment are not
14 widely known and efforts must be made to inform the general
15 public and health care professionals that pharmacotherapy can
16 be used as an effective and cost-efficient treatment for
17 obesity; and
 
18     WHEREAS, It is critical to raise the awareness of the
19 public and private sectors that obesity is a problem of
20 epidemic proportions that is treatable and that proper
21 treatment will reduce health care costs and improve the quality
22 of life for a large number of our citizens; therefore, be it
 
23     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
24 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Senate acknowledges
25 obesity as a growing epidemic and encourages improvement in
26 awareness and treatment of the problems of obesity; and be it
27 further
 
28     RESOLVED, That the medical community and the Illinois
29 Department of Public Health commit to combating obesity through
30 a myriad of tools deemed appropriate for the individual,

 

 

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1 including, but not limited to, nutrition education,
2 pharmacotherapy, and exercise; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That the General Assembly designates the month of
4 September 2005 as Obesity Awareness Month.