HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

212

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

ensuring that any legislative effort to repair the healthcare system in hawaii should incorporate sustainable wellness programs that address the underlying causal factors associated with chronic disease.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, increases in costs related to providing healthcare for an aging population and the increasing number of people with chronic disease create a crisis for the healthcare system in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, over 72,000 individuals in Hawaii have been diagnosed with diabetes and more than 25,000 remain undiagnosed; and

 

     WHEREAS, the leading cause of death in Hawaii is cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for more than 36% of all deaths in the state; and

 

     WHEREAS, overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for developing many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes; and

 

     WHEREAS, low-income families face an increased risk of developing chronic disease and do not have the resources necessary to avoid developing serious health problems related to such chronic disease; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests wellness programs that promote lifestyle changes can diminish the incidence and severity of chronic disease, provide a substantial return on investment, and reduce reliance on the conventional medical care system; and

 

     WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii has a responsibility to reengineer the Nation's healthcare system to allow for the provision of adequate healthcare for future generations; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's healthcare system must be revised to allow for the provision of adequate healthcare for future generations; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the Hawaii State Legislature should ensure that any revisions of the healthcare system in Hawaii incorporate sustainable wellness programs that address the underlying casual factors associated with chronic disease; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public have access to strategies for improving individual health through lifestyle change, including strategies relating to diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and stress reduction; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Department of Health.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Repairing healthcare; sustainable wellness