A U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin plans to introduce legislation to fight obesity.
In a statewide videoconference from the UW-Eau Claire Tuesday, Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) announced the “Healthy Choices Act,” which he plans to introduce after the Easter break. The La Crosse Democrat says the obesity epidemic is a national health crisis, with nearly $147 billion being spent each year to treat illnesses related to weight problems.
Kind says the legislation would provide incentives for schools to buy locally-grown food, grants for after school programs, along with biking and walking trails, and it would require doctors to report on children’s’ Body Mass Index data. He says that information would help to identify what helps to keep the weight of children down.
Kind says not all of the items under his “Healthy Choices Act” would cost additional money, but any funding would have to be approved through the appropriations process on a pay-as-you-go basis.
AUDIO: Dan Lea reports (:40)