Texas State Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst announced the "Make Texas Healthy Again" legislative agenda, focusing on childhood nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and health education reform in Texas. This announcement was made during a press conference on February 25.
"For the last forty-five years, the health of Americans has gotten worse," said Kolkhorst. "This is not a Republican thing. This is not a Democrat thing. This is an American thing. Taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded health care."
According to the press conference details, the agenda introduces several key bills aimed at addressing obesity and chronic disease. Senate Bill 25 seeks to expand physical education in schools and mandates nutrition education for medical students. "Pillar number one is to get moving," Kolkhorst said. Senate Bill 314, introduced by Senator Bryan Hughes, proposes banning harmful food additives in school meals, impacting over three million students. Hughes said, "If an ingredient is linked to severe human harm and alternatives exist, it will be prohibited." Additionally, Senate Bill 379 by Senator Mayes Middleton aims to remove junk food from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reduce diet-related health costs. Middleton remarked, "Taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded health care."
As of 2023, the adult obesity rate in the United States is reported at 34.3%, with Texas slightly higher at 34.4%, ranking it 19th among U.S. states for obesity prevalence. The Midwest and South regions have the highest rates nationally at 36% and 34.7%, respectively. In Texas, disparities are evident among demographic groups: Black adults have an obesity rate of 39.2%, Latinos at 39.7%, and white adults at 32.2%, as reported by the State of Childhood Obesity.
The White House indicates that $4.5 trillion is spent annually on healthcare in the U.S., with 90% allocated toward managing chronic and mental health conditions rather than prevention efforts. With six in ten Americans having at least one chronic disease and four in ten having two or more, there is a need for a shift towards preventative healthcare measures to improve public health outcomes.
According to the Texas Senate's website, Kolkhorst has served in the Texas Senate since 2014 after seven terms in the House of Representatives. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, she has been instrumental in advancing women's health initiatives, child protection measures, and healthcare access while also securing funding for education, border security, and infrastructure projects.
