ENROLLED
Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARTER
A RESOLUTION
To recognize Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as National Start! Walking Day and Legislative
Wellness Day at the Louisiana House of Representatives; to commend the efforts of
the American Heart Association, the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance, the Louisiana Council on Obesity Prevention and
Management, and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; to express
support for initiatives to help Louisiana citizens attain wellness; and to urge citizens
to commemorate this day.
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to recognize Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as National
Start! Walking Day and Legislative Wellness Day at the Louisiana House of
Representatives; and
WHEREAS, obesity rates are continuing to climb, and the resulting medical
complications are having a significant impact on both the state budget and the quality of life
of Louisiana citizens; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2009 Trust for America's Health report, Louisiana has
the eighth highest rate of adult obesity and the seventh highest rate of overweight youths
ages ten to seventeen; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana spends nearly $1.4 billion annually on obesity-a ttributed
health care costs; and
WHEREAS, obesity and being overweight are associated with increased risks for
costly chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and some
cancers; and
WHEREAS, obesity due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for more
than three hundred thousand deaths per year; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 16
Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS, Louisiana's leaders must fight the obesity epidemic by promoting
education, increasing awareness, and setting a positive example through eating healthfully
and exercising regularly; and
WHEREAS, regular walking has many proven benefits for an individual's overall
health, and brisk walking for at least thirty minutes per day can lower bad cholesterol levels
and high blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke; and
WHEREAS, if ten percent of Americans began a regular walking program, $5.6
billion in heart disease costs could be saved; and
WHEREAS, the purpose behind National Start! Walking Day is to encourage
Americans to become more physically active by walking.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as National Start!
Walking Day and Legislative Wellness Day at the Louisiana House of Representatives and
does hereby commend the efforts of the American Heart Association, the Louisiana
Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Louisiana Council
on Obesity Prevention and Management, and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and
Sports.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives does hereby
express support for public and private initiatives to help Louisiana citizens attain wellness
through healthful eating and physical activity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives does hereby urge
all citizens to show their support for the fight against heart disease and obesity and to
commemorate this day by taking the time to walk because by increasing the awareness of
the importance of physical activity, thousands of lives can be saved each year.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
American Heart Association, the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance, the Louisiana Council on Obesity Prevention and Management, and
the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES