NB for Speaker: Susanne, words in italics denote words to stress upon for dramatic emphasis; they should be spoken with feeling for emotional impact.
Directions are in bold, please feel free to alter such directions as you see fit.
Battle of the Bulge: it is time to tackle childhood obesity.
Members of the House, Members of the Senate, thank you for this opportunity to speak before you on a topic close to my heart – the evident problem of childhood obesity and how it is time for this problem to be addressed. I will talk about the simple, yet important duty we owe our children – that of protecting their health, both now and for the future. My proposed solution is to fulfil that duty by banning junk food in our state’s schools.
I come before you today because we can no longer close our eyes to the issue of childhood obesity. When the First Lady launched the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative in 2010, a scheme I am proudly involved in, she stated ‘the physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.’ This is no exaggeration. [Pause] This is the grim reality we – our children - are facing. [Look around, make eye contact]. We can face it through a series of progressive steps, starting with promoting healthy food choices and a balanced diet. We can achieve this through the elimination of unhealthy junk food in our state schools, making a place of academic education a national beacon of health education.
In 2003 the US Surgeon General Doctor Richard Carmona warned of the epidemic of childhood obesity, stating ‘too many children are eating too much and moving too little.’ The statistics make for alarming reading. Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in the US have tripled and today, nearly one in three children is overweight. [Pause, adopt incredulous tone] Let me repeat that: one in three of our children is overweight. In Iowa, 13.6% of children aged 10 to 17 are overweight, according to a 2011 survey by the State of Obesity project. Consider the consequences for their health: [pause] one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes. There is an increased risk of suffering from asthma, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure. We are allowing our children to cut their lives short, and we have been allowing this to continue unchallenged for too long. [Speak louder, adopt authoritative tone] The time to make a chink in this increasing trend of obesity is now, and a ban on junk food in our schools is where we begin.
This ban would ensure the serving of healthy, nutritious food and a balanced diet our children need. Iowa is a proud agricultural state and fresh produce is our lifeblood. It is time this tradition was represented in our schools. Junk food is cheap and convenient; [pause, adopt passionate voice] our children’s health should not be dismissed as a matter of cheap convenience.
[Speak louder, adopt authoritative tone] I am not proposing we take away the freedom of choice with this ban. I am proposing we educate our children on making better, healthier choices. It stems from realising the danger junk food poses to public health, and we have a legislative history of such bans. When in you passed the Smokefree Air Act in 2008 to prohibit smoking in public places, it was a measure to protect the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke. A ban on junk food in schools would be a protective measure to safeguard our children from the real danger that is childhood obesity.
Iowa has a strong progressive history, having always been at the forefront of civil rights. In 1851, we were the second state to legalise interracial marriage. We were the second state to outlaw segregated schools in 1868. We were the fourth state to legalise same-sex marriage in April 2009. Iowa proudly promotes and protects the rights of its residents. We have the opportunity in 2015 to become the first state to uphold our children’s right to a healthy life. [Fist gesture] Let’s seize it. If Iowa is regarded as the heart of our nation, let it become known as the healthy heart.
[Passionate, authorative tone]Our children are our future – let us ensure the future is a healthy one by adopting my proposal, and banning junk food in our schools. Thank you.
Directions are in bold, please feel free to alter such directions as you see fit.
Battle of the Bulge: it is time to tackle childhood obesity.
Members of the House, Members of the Senate, thank you for this opportunity to speak before you on a topic close to my heart – the evident problem of childhood obesity and how it is time for this problem to be addressed. I will talk about the simple, yet important duty we owe our children – that of protecting their health, both now and for the future. My proposed solution is to fulfil that duty by banning junk food in our state’s schools.
I come before you today because we can no longer close our eyes to the issue of childhood obesity. When the First Lady launched the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative in 2010, a scheme I am proudly involved in, she stated ‘the physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.’ This is no exaggeration. [Pause] This is the grim reality we – our children - are facing. [Look around, make eye contact]. We can face it through a series of progressive steps, starting with promoting healthy food choices and a balanced diet. We can achieve this through the elimination of unhealthy junk food in our state schools, making a place of academic education a national beacon of health education.
In 2003 the US Surgeon General Doctor Richard Carmona warned of the epidemic of childhood obesity, stating ‘too many children are eating too much and moving too little.’ The statistics make for alarming reading. Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in the US have tripled and today, nearly one in three children is overweight. [Pause, adopt incredulous tone] Let me repeat that: one in three of our children is overweight. In Iowa, 13.6% of children aged 10 to 17 are overweight, according to a 2011 survey by the State of Obesity project. Consider the consequences for their health: [pause] one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes. There is an increased risk of suffering from asthma, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure. We are allowing our children to cut their lives short, and we have been allowing this to continue unchallenged for too long. [Speak louder, adopt authoritative tone] The time to make a chink in this increasing trend of obesity is now, and a ban on junk food in our schools is where we begin.
This ban would ensure the serving of healthy, nutritious food and a balanced diet our children need. Iowa is a proud agricultural state and fresh produce is our lifeblood. It is time this tradition was represented in our schools. Junk food is cheap and convenient; [pause, adopt passionate voice] our children’s health should not be dismissed as a matter of cheap convenience.
[Speak louder, adopt authoritative tone] I am not proposing we take away the freedom of choice with this ban. I am proposing we educate our children on making better, healthier choices. It stems from realising the danger junk food poses to public health, and we have a legislative history of such bans. When in you passed the Smokefree Air Act in 2008 to prohibit smoking in public places, it was a measure to protect the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke. A ban on junk food in schools would be a protective measure to safeguard our children from the real danger that is childhood obesity.
Iowa has a strong progressive history, having always been at the forefront of civil rights. In 1851, we were the second state to legalise interracial marriage. We were the second state to outlaw segregated schools in 1868. We were the fourth state to legalise same-sex marriage in April 2009. Iowa proudly promotes and protects the rights of its residents. We have the opportunity in 2015 to become the first state to uphold our children’s right to a healthy life. [Fist gesture] Let’s seize it. If Iowa is regarded as the heart of our nation, let it become known as the healthy heart.
[Passionate, authorative tone]Our children are our future – let us ensure the future is a healthy one by adopting my proposal, and banning junk food in our schools. Thank you.