South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

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Bill 252

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      252
Type of Legislation:              Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  19990112
Primary Sponsor:                  Giese
All Sponsors:                     Giese
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\psd\7023ac99.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     19990428
Subject:                          Health and Environmental Control 
                                  Department, obesity; to study problem of, 
                                  Medical


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate  19990428  Received from House
House   19990427  Adopted, returned to Senate with
                  concurrence
House   19990427  Debate adjourned
House   19990421  Committee report: Favorable            27 H3M
House   19990217  Introduced, referred to Committee      27 H3M
Senate  19990216  Adopted, sent to House
Senate  19990211  Committee report: Favorable            13 SMA
Senate  19990112  Introduced, referred to Committee      13 SMA
Senate  19981216  Prefiled, referred to Committee        13 SMA


                             Versions of This Bill
Revised on February 11, 1999 - Word format
Revised on April 21, 1999 - Word format
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

COMMITTEE REPORT

April 21, 1999

S. 252

Introduced by Senator Giese

S. Printed 4/21/99--H.

Read the first time February 17, 1999.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL,

MILITARY, PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (S. 252), to request the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control to study the effect of obesity, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

JOE E. BROWN, for Committee.

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES IS:

Minimal (Some additional costs expected but can be absorbed)

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON FEDERAL & OTHER FUND EXPENDITURES IS:

$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)

EXPLANATION OF IMPACT:

The Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) reports that such a study would require a nutritionist, to serve as the Study Coordinator, a researcher and an administrative assistant hired on a consulting basis, and would take approximately 10 months to complete. The work plan would include a literature search of previous studies on obesity and its relationship to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other costly health complications; convening a panel of experts in obesity complications to develop a comprehensive study plan; evaluation of the study; development of the report to the General Assembly, and coordination of all activities.

The costs associated with this study would be minimal and could be absorbed by the agency.

Approved By:

Don Addy

Office of State Budget

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO REQUEST THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF OBESITY IN BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN ON COSTLY HEALTH COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE, AND STROKES AND OTHER HEALTH COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM OF OBESITY AND SUGGESTED TREATMENT MODALITIES, AND TO REPORT THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE THE CONVENING OF THE 2000 REGULAR SESSION.

Whereas, a causal relationship exists between obesity and a number of serious disorders, including hypertension, dyalipidemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes (type two), gallbladder disease, respiratory dysfunction, gout, and osteoarthritis; and

Whereas, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases indicates that nearly eighty percent of patients with diabetes mellitus are obese and the incidence of symptomatic gallstones soars as a person's body mass index increases beyond a certain level; and

Whereas, nearly seventy percent of diagnosed cases of cardiovascular disease are related to obesity, and obesity more than doubles a person's chances of developing high blood pressure, and almost half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed among obese women, and forty-two percent of colon cancer cases are among obese individuals; and

Whereas, obesity ranks second only to smoking as a preventable cause of death and results in some three hundred thousand deaths annually; and

Whereas, it is estimated that thirty-five percent of the adult population is obese and the prevalence of obesity grew a shocking thirty-four percent during the past ten years; and

Whereas, a 1997 study by Kaiser Permanente indicated that the total direct costs of obesity-related diseases in the United States in 1990 was $45.8 billion; and

Whereas, the Kaiser study concluded that there is a significant potential for a reduction in health care expenditures through obesity prevention efforts; and

Whereas, there is an urgent need for state health care groups and medical societies to place obesity at the top of their health care agendas; and

Whereas, many physicians do not treat obesity because they mistakenly believe there is no treatment for it; and

Whereas, the National Institute of Health, the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, and the American Obesity Association recommend that patients who are morbidly obese receive responsible, affordable medical treatment for their obesity; and

Whereas, the diagnosis of morbid obesity should be a clinical decision made by a physician based on proper medical protocols; and

Whereas, the recent breakthroughs in drug therapy can treat obesity successfully and the New England Journal of Medicine recently emphasized the legitimate use of pharmacotherapy as a component of treatment of medically significant obesity; and

Whereas, the new breakthroughs in obesity treatment are not widely known and efforts must be made to inform the general public and health care professionals that pharmacotherapy can be used as an effective and cost-effective treatment for obesity; and

Whereas, there is also great concern regarding what effect obesity in children may have on overall health in children, health care costs for children, and treatment modalities to address the problem of obesity in children; and

Whereas, a study conducted by the Department of Health and Environmental Control is critical to raise the awareness of the public and private sectors that obesity is a disease of epidemic proportions that is treatable and that proper treatment will reduce health care costs and improve the quality of life for a large number of our citizens. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, requests the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control to study the effect of obesity in both adults and children on costly health complications such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke and other health complications in children, to make recommendations for improvement in awareness of the problem of obesity and suggested treatment modalities, and to report the findings of the study and recommendations to the General Assembly before the convening of the 2000 regular session.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

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