§111. Purpose and Findings
A.Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate in the nation and the fourth highest
obesity rate for children ages ten through seventeen. Obesity-related health issues plague our
citizens, with Louisiana ranking fifth in the nation for adults with diabetes and fourth in the
nation for adults with hypertension. The Louisiana Medicaid program alone spent more than
ninety-eight million dollars in 2014 in total obesity-related payments for Medicaid-covered
children and adults. In 2012, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimated that a
cumulative five percent body mass index reduction in children and adults in Louisiana could
save the state nine billion dollars by 2030.
B.The issue of obesity in Louisiana has been studied tirelessly by countless national
and state
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§111. Purpose and Findings
A. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate in the nation and the fourth highest
obesity rate for children ages ten through seventeen. Obesity-related health issues plague our
citizens, with Louisiana ranking fifth in the nation for adults with diabetes and fourth in the
nation for adults with hypertension. The Louisiana Medicaid program alone spent more than
ninety-eight million dollars in 2014 in total obesity-related payments for Medicaid-covered
children and adults. In 2012, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimated that a
cumulative five percent body mass index reduction in children and adults in Louisiana could
save the state nine billion dollars by 2030.
B. The issue of obesity in Louisiana has been studied tirelessly by countless national
and state entities and there is no shortage of plans, programs, strategies, and initiatives by
organizations at every level, and yet obesity rates in Louisiana continue to increase every
year. Our children and adults develop obesity-related chronic diseases that impact every
aspect of their lives, including decreased school performance, job absences, and lack of
engagement in family and community, all of which decrease quality of life and come with
a significant financial impact to the state.
C. The legislature finds and declares that the greatest resource in tackling any
problem that impacts a community is the community itself. The obesity crisis cannot be
mandated away at the federal or state level. It must be a priority at the local level, and to that
end our mayors are key to the success of any effort to first slow and then reverse our obesity
rates, thereby saving money and increasing the quality of life for all of our citizens. Our
mayors must be equipped with the information needed to help their constituents lead
healthier lives, which will result in a more prosperous community and save the taxpayers
millions of dollars related to treating preventable chronic diseases.
NOTE: Effective until July 1, 2020; see R.S. 24:114.