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HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 36

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Luciano "Lucky" Varela

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO STUDY THE

FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING REPORT CARDS ON STUDENT HEALTH AND

FITNESS.

WHEREAS, the health and fitness of American children has

declined markedly over the years as children have become less

active and more obese, exhibiting poorer eating and nutrition

habits than their counterparts of previous generations; and

WHEREAS, good physical health is critically important to a

child's mental health and ability to learn and achieve; and

WHEREAS, a study of a program implemented in Boston-area

schools showed that parents became more involved in trying to

help their overweight children lose weight when they were made

aware of the child's weight and fitness through school-issued

report cards; and

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.166748.1

WHEREAS, obesity is a national problem, and interventions

during childhood and adolescence can help to prevent not only

childhood obesity but also adult obesity;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public education department be

requested to study the feasibility of implementing a statewide

health and fitness report card program, with the goal of

objectively measuring student weight and fitness levels,

informing parents of those results and encouraging parents to

work actively with their children to improve their weight and

fitness levels; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education

department report its findings and recommendations, if any, to

the legislative education study committee prior to the second

session of the forty-eighth legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the secretary of public education and the

director of the legislative education study committee.

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