SJ0069

LRB093 21537 BDD 48733 r






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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
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    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
      
 
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    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
      
 
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    WHEREAS, A causal relationship exists between
   obesity and a 
11
number of serious disorders, including
   hypertension, 
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dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease,
   type 2 diabetes, 
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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 
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nearly 80% of patients with
   type 2 diabetes are obese, and the 
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incidence of
   symptomatic gallstones soars as a person's body 
19
mass
   index increases beyond a certain level; and
      
 
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    WHEREAS, The information also reveals that nearly
   70% of 
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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
      
 
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    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
      
 
 


 






SJ0069
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LRB093 21537 BDD 48733 r




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    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
      
 
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    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
     
 
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    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-THIRD GENERAL 
24
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
25
CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly
  acknowledges 
26
obesity as a growing epidemic and
  encourages improvement in 
27
awareness and treatment of
  the problems of obesity; and be it 
28
further

 
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    RESOLVED, That the medical community
  and the Illinois 
30
Department of Public Health commit to
  combating obesity through 
 


 






SJ0069
- 3 -
LRB093 21537 BDD 48733 r




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a myriad of tools deemed
  appropriate for the individual, 
2
including, but not
  limited to, nutrition education, 
3
pharmacotherapy, and
  exercise; and be it further
 
4
    RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
  designates the month of 
5
May 2004 as Obesity Awareness
  Month.