Congressman Cohen and Senator Booker Reintroduce Reducing Obesity in Youth Act

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced legislation to address the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate. The measure, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, would create incentives to improve the future health of American children and affect future national health care costs and national security.

One in three American teens and children is overweight or obese, placing them at risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"I have long been concerned that Tennessee has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the nation. The national childhood obesity rate is dangerously high but, in recent years, Tennessee has trended even higher than the national average. The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act I am introducing with Senator Booker would help to reverse this trend and improve the health and well-being of America's children. Research shows that early childhood is an important time for developing positive dietary and physical activity behaviors. The House and Senate bills being introduced would create a competitive grant program to incentivize the development of earlier health and nutrition education environments for our children. That kind of healthy start will lead to healthy lives."

Senator Booker made the following statement:

"The childhood obesity epidemic is a growing health crisis leading to higher risks of chronic diseases, stroke, and heart conditions. This bicameral bill will create a grant program and enable local and state entities to promote healthy habits for our nation's children so we can start to build a healthier America."

In previous Congresses, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act has been endorsed by the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, Better Children's Diets, Curricula Concepts, Inc., First Focus Campaign for Children, Florida Chapter for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Council of Southeast Florida, Jump in for Healthy Kids, Kids Forward, Laurie M. Trisch Center for Food, Education, and Policy, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Mary Ann Liebert Inc., Nemours Children's Health System, Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, Save the Children, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

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