BILL NUMBER: ACR 8ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE APRIL 13, 2009 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Torlakson JANUARY 6, 2009 Relative to California Fitness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 8, Torlakson. California Fitness Month. This measure would proclaim the month of May 2009 as California Fitness Month, and would encourage all Californians to enrich their lives through proper diet and exercise. WHEREAS, Exercise and fitness activities can increase self-esteem, boost energy, strengthen the heart and muscles, and burn calories; and WHEREAS, Exercise and fitness activities are excellent ways to relieve stress, lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, prevent bone loss, and decrease the risk of some cancers; and WHEREAS, A person's fitness level has a dramatic effect on the body's ability to produce energy and to reduce fat; and WHEREAS, To lose weight and keep it off, one should do an enjoyable, moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 30 to 60 minutes, three to five times a week; and WHEREAS, A person should also do muscle-strengthening exercises two or three times a week, and should concentrate on maintaining a balanced diet; and WHEREAS, Most popular diet programs cannot produce long-lasting weight reduction results without exercise; and WHEREAS, There is no age limit for physical activity. Among the elderly, exercise provides cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, metabolic, and mental health benefits; and WHEREAS, Fitness activities have been shown to sharpen mental ability in all people, and to retard the aging process; and WHEREAS, Maximizing one's energy level, increasing muscle mass, and reducing body fat increases one's chances of living a longer, healthier life; and WHEREAS, Among states, California ranks 41st for weight health with 56 percent of California adults being either obese or overweight; and WHEREAS, The rate of type II diabetes tripled among American children from 2000 to 2005; and WHEREAS, The United States Surgeon General recently spoke about the "cultural transformation" necessary to reverse the detrimental effects of childhood obesity, and the threat to national security that obesity poses for the country; and WHEREAS, The State Department of Education reports that a majority of California's children are not physically fit; and WHEREAS, The Legislature seeks to advance the physical fitness of all Californians by educating them about the benefits of exercise and a balanced diet; and WHEREAS, The Legislature will increase public awareness about the benefits of exercise and physical fitness by encouraging its Members to host events in their districts that stimulate physical fitness and increase participation by Californians in activities that promote physical health and benefit both mental and physical well-being; and WHEREAS, The Legislature encourages its Members, as well as organizations, businesses, and individuals, to sponsor and attend physical fitness events that are informative, fun, and result in a number of Californians becoming physically fit; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of May 2009 as California Fitness Month, and encourages all Californians to enrich their lives through proper diet and exercise; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.