DELAURO: REPORT SHOWS INCREASED URGENCY OF OBESITY EPIDEMIC

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Education, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released the eighth annual F as in Fat report.

"This report makes clear the troubling state of our nation's health— an astonishing where two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children are obese or overweight, and in just the last 15 years, seven states have seen their rates of obesity double. This obesity epidemic is impacting millions of Americans' quality of life, but the costs are not limited to our health. The medical expenses associated with obesity are driving healthcare costs higher, and even reducing the number of potential military recruits.

"Connecticut ranks well when compared to other states' obesity rates, but our numbers are still unacceptably high. We must keep working to address this obesity epidemic, especially in children. The Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children has issued guidelines for the food industry's marketing methods, which aim to help children make healthier food choices. But is it critical that we also maintain our investments in programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school nutrition programs, and the Prevention and Public Health Fund, all of which help our children make healthier choices through education and access—but are facing drastic budget cuts this year. This epidemic is a matter of our national health and security, and we must do all we can to confront it."