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1 | AN ACT concerning public health.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||
5 | Obesity Prevention Initiative Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly | ||||||
7 | makes all of the following findings: | ||||||
8 | (1) Nearly 25% of Illinois adults are obese and 37% are | ||||||
9 | overweight, 62% of Illinois adults in total.
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10 | (2) The percentage of normal-weight Illinois adults | ||||||
11 | has steadily decreased as the percentage who are overweight | ||||||
12 | or obese has steadily increased.
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13 | (3) More than 31% of Illinois children ages 10 through | ||||||
14 | 17 years are considered overweight or obese.
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15 | (4) A majority (56%) of publicly insured children are | ||||||
16 | overweight or obese (the highest state prevalence in the | ||||||
17 | nation) and nearly 2 in 5 (39%) black, non-Hispanic | ||||||
18 | children are overweight or obese (the third highest state | ||||||
19 | prevalence).
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20 | (5) Today's overweight and obese children are likely to | ||||||
21 | become tomorrow's overweight and health-impaired adults, | ||||||
22 | at risk for premature death.
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23 | (6) Being overweight and obese puts people at increased |
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1 | risk for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain | ||||||
2 | cancers, hypertension, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol or | ||||||
3 | triglycerides or both), stroke, liver and gallbladder | ||||||
4 | disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, | ||||||
5 | osteoarthritis, and gynecological problems.
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6 | (7) Overweight and obesity-related diseases cause | ||||||
7 | premature death.
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8 | (8) The economic costs associated with treating these | ||||||
9 | diseases is substantial and increasing, accounting for | ||||||
10 | more than 9% of total health care costs, approximately half | ||||||
11 | of which are born by public resources via Medicare and | ||||||
12 | Medicaid and the majority of the remainder born by | ||||||
13 | employers.
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14 | (9) Obese people suffer more injuries and disabilities | ||||||
15 | and have more non-productive work days in total, creating | ||||||
16 | loss of earnings for Illinois employees and loss of | ||||||
17 | productivity for Illinois employers.
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18 | (10) Research has shown that 27% of health care charges | ||||||
19 | for adults over age 40 are associated with people being | ||||||
20 | physically inactive, overweight, or obese.
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21 | (11) From 1987 to 2001, obesity-related spending | ||||||
22 | accounted for an estimated 27% of the increase in | ||||||
23 | inflation-adjusted per capita health spending.
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24 | (12) Research has shown that each additional day of | ||||||
25 | physical activity per week can reduce medical charges by | ||||||
26 | 4.7%.
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1 | (13) The non-economic costs of being overweight or | ||||||
2 | obese that is experienced by Illinois citizens are | ||||||
3 | immeasurable in terms of pain, mobility, self-esteem, bias | ||||||
4 | and stigma, the grief associated with the premature death | ||||||
5 | of loved ones, and other quality of life issues.
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6 | (14) Food and exercise habits are strongly linked to | ||||||
7 | the food and exercise habits of the communities in which | ||||||
8 | the individuals live, work, attend school, and socialize.
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9 | (15) Individual and community food and exercise habits | ||||||
10 | are strongly linked to environmental factors, such as | ||||||
11 | access to healthy food and safe opportunities for physical | ||||||
12 | activity. | ||||||
13 | (16) Public health interventions focusing on healthy | ||||||
14 | eating, physical activity, and environmental change to | ||||||
15 | facilitate these behaviors have been shown to be successful | ||||||
16 | in reducing obesity and promoting healthy weight and | ||||||
17 | physical activity among children and adults.
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18 | (17) Obesity is a significant contributing factor to | ||||||
19 | many chronic diseases faced by Illinois residents and that | ||||||
20 | obesity and its effects on human health are best addressed | ||||||
21 | in a holistic manner, including policy change, | ||||||
22 | environmental change, and community public health and | ||||||
23 | wellness efforts.
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24 | (18) The General Assembly has recognized the | ||||||
25 | importance of studying obesity and passed the Obesity Study | ||||||
26 | and Prevention Fund Act in 2004. The Illinois State Health |
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1 | Improvement Plan (SHIP) identified obesity and physical | ||||||
2 | activity as strategic priority health conditions that | ||||||
3 | demand action, including without limitation the following: | ||||||
4 | (A) Increased efforts to educate the public on the | ||||||
5 | health risks associated with obesity and poor | ||||||
6 | nutrition, and resources to help individuals to adopt | ||||||
7 | healthy lifestyles. | ||||||
8 | (B) Promoting changes in State and local policies | ||||||
9 | designed to support healthy eating and physical | ||||||
10 | activity.
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11 | Section 10. Obesity Prevention Initiative. Within 60 days | ||||||
12 | after the effective date of this Act, the Department of Public | ||||||
13 | Health shall organize at least 6 hearings on the health effects | ||||||
14 | of obesity, the costs of obesity to the health care system and | ||||||
15 | society, and the need to address the obesity epidemic with | ||||||
16 | community, policy, and individual health behavior change. The | ||||||
17 | Department shall work with public, private, and voluntary | ||||||
18 | stakeholders to plan and publicize the hearings. The hearing | ||||||
19 | officers shall include the Chair of the State Board of Health | ||||||
20 | or her designee; up to 7 additional members of the State Board | ||||||
21 | of Health; 2 members of the Illinois House of Representatives, | ||||||
22 | one of whom shall be named by the Speaker of the House and one | ||||||
23 | of whom shall be named by the Minority Leader of the House; and | ||||||
24 | 2 members of the Illinois Senate, one of whom shall be named by | ||||||
25 | the President of the Senate and one of whom shall be named by |
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1 | the Minority Leader of the Senate. | ||||||
2 | No later than February 1, 2010, the hearing officers shall | ||||||
3 | provide a report on the hearings to the members of the Illinois | ||||||
4 | General Assembly, State Board of Health, and, pursuant to | ||||||
5 | Public Act 93-0975, members of the State Health Improvement | ||||||
6 | Planning Team to inform and support action on implementing the | ||||||
7 | 2009 State Health Improvement Plan. Pursuant to Public Act | ||||||
8 | 95-0900, the Chronic Disease Task Force shall also use the | ||||||
9 | report to inform the Plan that is due July 1, 2010 to the | ||||||
10 | General Assembly. The Department shall provide logistical and | ||||||
11 | support staff for hearings. | ||||||
12 | Within 60 days after the completion of the report on the | ||||||
13 | hearings, but no later than April 1, 2010, and subject to | ||||||
14 | appropriation for that purpose, the Department of Public Health | ||||||
15 | shall grant funds to one or more non-profit organizations or | ||||||
16 | local public health departments to conduct a statewide | ||||||
17 | education campaign focusing on the health effects of obesity, | ||||||
18 | the costs of obesity to the health care system and society, and | ||||||
19 | the need to address the obesity epidemic with community, | ||||||
20 | policy, and individual health behavior change.
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law.
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