Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 24, § 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.