Recognizing the need of Congress to prevent, address, and treat obesity as a disease in the United States on this World Obesity Day, March 4, 2025.

HRES 185 is a symbolic House resolution recognizing obesity as a disease and urging congressional action on March 4, 2025 (World Obesity Day). It does not create new laws or funding but formally acknowledges obesity’s health impacts (linked to over 200 conditions like diabetes and heart disease), economic costs ($283 billion in U.S. health expenses in 2023), and disparities (e.g., 49.9% obesity rate among Black adults). The resolution encourages evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies while highlighting obesity’s role in preventable deaths and its disproportionate burden on low-income and rural communities. As a non-binding resolution, it has no direct effect on policy or affected individuals.