Political Quotes

“on April 12, 2000, I testified in the subcommittee chaired by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) with a group representing the bipartisan Congressional Women's Caucus about a problem that affects women slightly more than men but has become a major national health problem across the entire population for children and for men and women of every age group and background. Alarming increases in overweight and obesity increasingly have become a major American health problem. More than 50 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Surgeon General David Satcher says that overweight and obesity are major contributors to many preventable diseases and causes of death, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, arthritis, gallbladder disease, asthma, and some cancers, including breast, endometrial, prostate, and colon cancers. The incidence of overweight and obesity is the worst in our history. Obesity trends are particularly serious among the youngest Americans. Almost 25 percent of young people ages 6 to 17 are overweight, and the percentage who are seriously overweight has doubled in the last 30 years. The responsibility of lifestyle for this troubling trend, especially fast food and lack of exercise, is very clear.”