SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY.

SEC. 401. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY.(a) Findings.—Congress finds that—(1) childhood obesity in the United States has reached critical proportions;(2) childhood obesity is associated with numerous health risks and the incidence of chronic disease later in life;(3) the prevention of obesity among children yields significant benefits in terms of preventing disease and the health care costs associated with such diseases;(4) further scientific and medical data on the prevalence of childhood obesity is necessary in order to inform efforts to fight childhood obesity; and(5) the State of Arkansas—(A) is the first State in the United States to have a comprehensive statewide initiative to combat and prevent childhood obesity by—(i) annually measuring the body mass index of public school children in the State from kindergarten through 12th grade; and118 STAT. 789(ii) providing that information to the parents of each child with associated information about the health implications of the body mass index of the child;(B) maintains, analyzes, and reports on annual and longitudinal body mass index data for the public school children in the State; and(C) develops and implements appropriate interventions at the community and school level to address obesity, the risk of obesity, and the condition of being overweight, including efforts to encourage healthy eating habits and increased physical activity.(b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that—(1) the State of Arkansas, in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, should be commended for its leadership in combating childhood obesity; and (2) the efforts of the State of Arkansas to implement a statewide initiative to combat and prevent childhood obesity are exemplary and could serve as a model for States across the United States.