Your Move: Healthiest Next Generation

Obesity Rates Down, Chance to Prop Up the Healthiest Next Generation (2SHB 2643)
If you tuned into the news this week, you saw hopeful developments in the fight to prevent childhood obesity. Rates have declined among ages 2-5 years, and our First Lady is leading the charge to keep unhealthy marketing out of schools and to revamp our nutrition labels. The bad news is that high obesity rates are persisting in other age groups – and while we see pockets of decline in places like King County, we need to move the needle Washington state as a whole.
The Healthiest Next Generation Bill (2SHB 2643) presents an opportunity for Washington state to engage in obesity prevention in a real way. We need YOUR help to ensure this bill passes and that the next Washington state generation is the healthiest that it can be.
A Senate Ways & Means Hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon, March 3rd. We need you to show your support by calling or writing the individuals below by mid-day on Monday (see bill details and talking points below).
Senator | Phone | |
Hill, Andy (R) Chair | (360) 786-7672 | |
Baumgartner, Michael (R) Vice Chair | (360) 786-7610 | |
Honeyford, Jim (R) **** | (360) 786-7684 | |
Hargrove, James (D) * | (360) 786-7646 | |
Keiser, Karen (D) Assistant Ranking Member on the Capital Budget | (360) 786-7664 | |
Ranker, Kevin (D) Assistant Ranking Member on the Operating Budget | (360) 786-7678 | |
Bailey, Barbara (R) | (360) 786-7618 | |
Becker, Randi (R) | (360) 786-7602 | |
Billig, Andy (D) | (360) 786-7604 | |
Braun, John (R) | (360) 786-7638 | |
Conway, Steve (D) | (360) 786-7656 | |
Dammeier, Bruce (R) | (360) 786-7648 | |
Fraser, Karen (D) | (360) 786-7642 | |
Frockt, David (D) | (360) 786-7690 | |
Hasegawa, Bob (D) | (360) 786-7616 | |
Hatfield, Brian (D) | (360) 786-7636 | |
Hewitt, Mike (R) | (360) 786-7630 | |
Kohl-Welles, Jeanne (D) | (360) 786-7670 | |
Padden, Mike (R) | (360) 786-7606 | |
Parlette, Linda Evans (R) | (360) 786-7622 | |
Rivers, Ann (R) | (360) 786-7634 | |
Schoesler, Mark (R) | (360) 786-7620 | |
Tom, Rodney (D) | (360) 786-7 |
- Obese children have higher outpatient, emergency room and pharmacy expenditures than average weight children.
- Recent research has shown that obese adolescence is linked with lower cognitive performance, affecting a child’s ability to learn and grow into successful adults.
- Obesity-related job absenteeism costs $4.3 billion annually in the U.S.
- Obesity is associated with lower productivity while at work, which costs employers $506 per obese worker per year.