[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 708 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 708

    Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through 
        September 23, 2023, as ``Malnutrition Awareness Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2023

 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. McGovern, 
Mr. Lawler, Mr. Carson, Ms. Norton, Mr. Carbajal, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
 and Ms. Lee of Nevada) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
 the Committees on Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, and Ways 
 and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through 
        September 23, 2023, as ``Malnutrition Awareness Week''.

Whereas malnutrition is the condition that occurs when a person does not get 
        enough protein, calories, or nutrients;
Whereas malnutrition is a significant problem in the United States and around 
        the world, crossing all age, racial, class, gender, and geographic 
        lines;
Whereas malnutrition can be driven by social determinants of health, including 
        poverty or economic instability, access to affordable health care, and 
        low health literacy;
Whereas there are inextricable and cyclical links between poverty and 
        malnutrition;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as when a person 
        or household does not have regular, reliable access to the foods needed 
        for good health;
Whereas communities of color, across all age groups, are disproportionately 
        likely to experience both food insecurity and malnutrition;
Whereas Black children are almost 3 times more likely to live in a food-insecure 
        household than White children;
Whereas infants, older adults, people with chronic diseases, and other 
        vulnerable populations are particularly at risk for malnutrition;
Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that failure to provide key 
        nutrients during early childhood may result in lifelong deficits in 
        brain function;
Whereas disease-associated malnutrition affects between 30 and 50 percent of 
        patients admitted to hospitals, and the medical costs of hospitalized 
        patients with malnutrition can be 300 percent more than the medical 
        costs of properly nourished patients;
Whereas, according to the ``National Blueprint: Achieving Quality Malnutrition 
        Care for Older Adults, 2020 Update'', as many as half of older adults 
        living in the United States are malnourished or at risk for 
        malnutrition;
Whereas, according to recent Aging Network surveys, 76 percent of older adults 
        receiving meals at senior centers and other congregate facilities report 
        improved health outcomes, and 84 percent of older adults receiving home-
        delivered meals indicate the same;
Whereas disease-associated malnutrition in older adults alone costs the United 
        States more than $51,300,000,000 each year; and
Whereas the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition established 
        ``Malnutrition Awareness Week'' to raise awareness and promote 
        prevention of malnutrition across the lifespan: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That Congress--
            (1) supports the designation of ``Malnutrition Awareness 
        Week'';
            (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists and other 
        nutrition professionals, health care providers, school food 
        service workers, social workers, advocates, caregivers, and 
        other professionals and agencies for their efforts to advance 
        awareness, treatment, and prevention of malnutrition;
            (3) recognizes the importance of existing Federal nutrition 
        programs, like Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et 
        seq.) nutrition programs and Federal child nutrition programs, 
        for their role in combating malnutrition, and supports 
        increased funding for these critical programs;
            (4) recognizes--
                    (A) the importance of medical nutrition therapy 
                under the Medicare Program under title XVIII of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); and
                    (B) the need for vulnerable populations to have 
                access to nutrition counseling;
            (5) recognizes the importance of the innovative research 
        conducted by the National Institutes of Health on--
                    (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the human 
                gastrointestinal microbiome; and
                    (B) how those factors influence the prevention or 
                development of chronic disease throughout the lifespan;
            (6) supports access to malnutrition screening and 
        assessment for all patients;
            (7) encourages the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
        to evaluate the implementation of newly approved malnutrition 
        electronic clinical quality measures; and
            (8) acknowledges the importance of healthy food access for 
        children, especially in childcare settings and schools, and the 
        benefits of evidence-based nutrition standards.
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