H.R. No. 748
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, In Texas, nearly a quarter of all adults suffer from
arthritis, a condition that is color-blind and indifferent to
income or socioeconomic status; if the more than 4.1 million Texan
adults who have arthritis were to form a city, its population would
be about the size of Austin, Houston, and San Antonio combined; and
WHEREAS, Typically assumed to affect only older adults,
arthritis is found in people of all ages, and more than 300,000
children in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis; at
particular risk are women, African Americans, and whites, while
those who make less than $25,000 per year also report higher rates
of the disease; and
WHEREAS, Nearly half of the Texans who have arthritis suffer
limitations severe enough to interfere with daily life; symptoms of
arthritis include pain, swelling, and stiffness, and arthritis puts
people at greater risk for serious additional health problems such
as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and
depression; and
WHEREAS, Affecting the quality of life of families and
caregivers as well as individual sufferers, arthritis is also
expensive, costing the citizens of Texas an estimated $8.7 billion
per year; with the aging of America's population, the prevalence of
arthritis is expected to increase, but the Texas chapter of the
Arthritis Foundation is funding vital research, providing public
health education, and conducting research to seek improved
treatment options; and
WHEREAS, The well-being of Texas residents is an issue of
paramount importance, and Fight Arthritis Pain Month serves as a
significant reminder of the importance of working to enhance the
quality of life for those living with arthritis; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize May 2011 as Fight Arthritis Pain Month
in Texas and urge all Texans to learn more about arthritis and the
needs of people who have arthritis.
Zerwas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 748 was adopted by the House on March
31, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House