Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 5, 2017 02:25 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John P. Sabatina, Jr. |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Resolution: Every Kid Healthy Week in PA |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution to designate the week of April 24th – 28th, as “Every Kid Healthy Week” here in Pennsylvania. This is done in part to raise awareness regarding the importance of kids practicing healthy behaviors. Evidence shows that increasing physical activity has a number of benefits for kids, including: 1) losing weight; 2) improving academic performance, insulin response, and blood lipid levels in obese children; and 3) preventing obesity, and/or other related chronic diseases, later on in adulthood. The obesity and physical inactivity epidemics in the United States are well known; in PA over a quarter (25%) of citizens are considered obese. Of those; 14% of children ages 10-17 are obese and less than 20% meet the recommended levels of aerobic, and muscle strengthening, physical activities. These obese youth are more likely to: have risk factors for heart disease, have pre-diabetes, experience bone and joint problems, get sleep apnea, and develop psychological problems. This issue has gone beyond public health, as increasing levels of obesity and physical inactivity are directly linked to increasing government healthcare costs. Nationally, 75% of healthcare expenditures go toward diagnosing and treating chronic diseases, many of which have been linked to obesity and physical inactivity. Here in Pennsylvania, we have come to have some of the nation’s highest health costs. Currently, we rank 11th out of 51 in healthcare spending per capita. Please join me in supporting this resolution. |
Introduced as SR88