H.R. No. 1419
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Malnutrition Awareness Week is taking place from
September 28 to October 2, 2015; and
WHEREAS, This observance was first established in 2012 by the
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition; ASPEN has
played a leading role in drawing attention to malnutrition,
understanding that awareness is an important step toward treating
the condition; and
WHEREAS, ASPEN defines malnutrition as an "acute, subacute or
chronic state of nutrition," and it can be the result of either
inadequate or unbalanced nutrition; even overweight individuals
can be malnourished if they are not receiving proper nutrients; and
WHEREAS, Malnutrition can cause the loss of lean body mass,
and that loss can affect recovery from surgery, illness, or
disease; the condition is particularly prevalent in vulnerable
groups such as older adults, hospital patients, and minority
populations, and statistics show that these demographics have
higher incidences of such severe chronic diseases as diabetes,
kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease; and
WHEREAS, Many health experts agree that the quality of
nutrition has a direct impact on an individual's health and that
good nutrition can reduce medical costs by helping to keep people
healthy and out of institutionalized care; and
WHEREAS, Two important tools in combatting malnutrition are
nutritional screening and therapeutic nutrition, through which
people at risk are administered food and fluids to support their
metabolism; the benefits of these procedures are myriad, yet they
are not routine practices across the spectrum of health care; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
considers access to nutritional screening and therapeutic
nutrition essential to restoring lean body mass, improving clinical
outcomes, reducing health care costs, and promoting good health;
and
WHEREAS, By gaining a more thorough understanding of
malnutrition, residents of the Lone Star State are able to better
safeguard their health and to seek effective treatments, and all
those involved in sharing information about this condition are
indeed deserving of support; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize September 28 through October 2, 2015,
as Malnutrition Awareness Week in Texas.
Zerwas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1419 was adopted by the House on March
23, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House