[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1978 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1978
To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to treat
obesity as a disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in certain
Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2025
Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to treat
obesity as a disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in certain
Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. COMBATING OBESITY IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES.
(a) Strategy and Educational Campaign.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall--
(A) develop a strategy to align the obesity-related
programs of the Department of Defense with the
classification of obesity as a medically accepted
disease; and
(B) conduct an educational campaign to promote
awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity as a
disease in the covered Armed Forces.
(2) Requirements for strategy.--The strategy developed
under paragraph (1)(A) shall include the following:
(A) A plan to coordinate obesity-related programs
across the Department of Defense to treat obesity as a
disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in the
covered Armed Forces.
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of health
programs of the Department of Defense that are intended
to educate, prevent, or treat obesity among members of
the covered Armed Forces, and a plan to modify or
update such programs to treat obesity as a disease.
(C) An assessment of the adequacy of nutrition
education for physicians and other health care
practitioners in the military health system to evaluate
and treat obesity as a disease, including the need for
any additional education or guidelines for such
physicians and other health care practitioners.
(D) A strategy to work toward members of the
covered Armed Forces with obesity receiving appropriate
treatment.
(3) Requirements for educational campaign.--The educational
campaign conducted under paragraph (1)(B) shall include the
following:
(A) Information to educate members of the covered
Armed Forces regarding best practices to prevent,
reduce, or mitigate obesity, and available resources to
address the root causes of obesity.
(B) Information targeted to physicians and other
health care practitioners in the military health system
to promote diagnosis and treatment of obesity as a
disease.
(4) Consultation.--In developing the strategy and
educational campaign required by paragraph (1), the Secretary
of Defense shall consult with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other agencies of the
Department of Health and Human Services, as determined
appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(b) Inclusion of Information Regarding Unmet Weight Standards in
Certain Reports.--Beginning not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall include
information regarding unmet weight standards in any report submitted by
the Secretary to Congress regarding disqualifications for enlistment
in, disability incurred in, or medical discharges from, the covered
Armed Forces.
(c) Additional Department of Defense Reports.--
(1) Effects of obesity on readiness of covered armed
forces.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report regarding the effects of
obesity on the readiness of the covered Armed Forces. Such
report shall include legislative recommendations of the
Secretary to address such effects.
(2) Effectiveness of obesity, food, and nutrition-related
programs of department of defense.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Director of the Defense Health Agency shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on
the effectiveness of the obesity, food, and nutrition-related
programs of the Department of Defense in reducing obesity and
improving military readiness.
(d) GAO Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report analyzing the existing obesity, food, and
nutrition-related programs of the Department of Defense.
(2) Requirements.--The report required by paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of programs directed to members
of the covered Armed Forces.
(B) An assessment of programs directed to health
care providers in the military health system.
(C) An assessment of the effectiveness of such
programs in reducing obesity and the impact of obesity
on military readiness.
(D) Recommendations to coordinate and improve
existing programs to reduce obesity and the impact of
obesity on military readiness.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means
the following:
(A) The Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives.
(B) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House
of Representatives.
(C) The Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives.
(D) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives.
(E) The Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
(F) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate.
(G) The Committee on Finance of the Senate.
(H) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate.
(2) The term ``covered Armed Force'' means the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force.
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