SR0272 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0272 LRB096 12869 GRL 26661 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese; the rates of obesity have doubled in children and tripled in teens since 1980; 24.9% of Illinoisans are considered obese; and

WHEREAS, Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other health problems; and

WHEREAS, Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of meals prepared and eaten outside the home and eaten at restaurants and other food-service establishments; and

WHEREAS, The Food Stamp Program was designed to help end hunger and improve nutrition and health; the program helps low-income households buy the food they need for a nutritionally adequate diet; the program is managed by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture; the Department of Human Services administers the program in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The federal government mandates which foods may be purchased under the program; the federal government specifies that food stamp benefits can be used to buy any food or food product for human consumption, plus seeds and plants for use in home gardens to produce food; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Congress to start a waiver program to prohibit the use of food stamps to purchase foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the members of the Illinois congressional delegation.