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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, issued by |
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the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of |
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Health and Human Services, calls for greater consumption of fruits |
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and vegetables, but the high cost of fresh produce discourages |
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participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from |
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following this recommendation; and |
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WHEREAS, Fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced |
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risk of many chronic diseases and provide a number of nutrients that |
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are under-consumed in the U.S., including vitamins A, C, and K, as |
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well as potassium, fiber, and magnesium; moreover, they are |
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relatively low in calories; the USDA accordingly recommends that |
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Americans fill half their plates with these foods at every meal or |
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snack, which means most Americans should double their current |
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consumption of fruits and vegetables; and |
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WHEREAS, Unfortunately, the inflation-adjusted cost of fresh |
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fruits and vegetables rose nearly 40 percent over a 15-year period, |
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while the cost of nutrient-poor, high-calorie "junk" foods has |
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actually declined in recent years; for those with limited means, |
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the need to stretch their dollars may override the desire to make |
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healthy food choices; and |
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WHEREAS, The difficult economic climate has increased the |
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number of Americans receiving SNAP benefits, formerly known as food |
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stamps; as of January 2011, 43 million people, or one in seven |
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Americans, were participating in SNAP, and about half of them were |
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children; and |
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WHEREAS, Nearly one-third of all children and adolescents in |
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the United States are overweight or obese, and these youngsters are |
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increasingly developing "adult" diseases, such as type 2 diabetes |
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and hypertension; furthermore, they are at increased risk for heart |
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disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, and other serious chronic |
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conditions; medical expenses for obese children are approximately |
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three times higher than for other children, and childhood obesity |
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is estimated to cost the nation $14 billion in direct health |
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expenses; and |
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WHEREAS, In order to reduce the incidence of obesity-related |
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diseases and stem rising health care costs, it is crucial that all |
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Americans have access to foods that make up a healthy diet, but SNAP |
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benefits are currently insufficient to allow participants to make |
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fruits and vegetables the primary component of their meals; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to ensure that |
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benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program |
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are adequate for the purchase of a healthy diet; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, to the secretary of |
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the United States Department of Agriculture, and to all the members |
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of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this |
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resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to |
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the Congress of the United States of America. |