LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim May 8-14, 2016, as Women's Health Week in the State of New
York, in conjunction with the observance of National Women's Health Week

WHEREAS, Women's Health Week celebrates the extraordinary progress in
women's health and recognizes that more needs to be done to safeguard
the health of women for generations to come; and
WHEREAS, National Women's Health Week was initiated in May 2000 by a
coalition of public and private organizations dedicated to raising
awareness of women's health issues, with the focus on the importance of
incorporating simple preventive and positive health behaviors into
everyday life; it is now celebrated in the spring, beginning on Mother's
Day; and
WHEREAS, National Women's Health Week is a weeklong health observance
coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office
on Women's Health; and
WHEREAS, National Women's Health Week empowers women to make their
health a top priority; it also encourages women to take steps to improve
their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain
diseases; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the 14th Annual National Women's Checkup Day
will be held on Monday, May 9, 2016, during National Women's Health
Week; and
WHEREAS, National Women's Checkup Day is dedicated to encouraging
women to visit their health care professionals to receive or schedule
checkups, and to promote regular checkups as vital to the early
detection of diseases, illnesses, infections, and other conditions; and
WHEREAS, Many of the leading causes of death among women, such as
heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, can be successfully
prevented or treated if the warning signs are caught early enough; and
WHEREAS, Heart disease is the number one killer of American women;
often thought of as a man's disease, more women die of heart disease
each year than do men; and
WHEREAS, Diet affects the risk for having heart disease and poor blood
circulation, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke; and
WHEREAS, To help prevent heart disease and stroke, the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute has developed three heart healthy eating
plans: 1) A Heart Healthy Diet; 2) A Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
Diet; and 3) The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH); and
WHEREAS, Regular activity can help prevent unhealthy weight gain and
also help with weight loss, when combined with lower calorie intake; it
can also improve cardiorespiratory (heart, lungs, and blood vessels) and
muscular fitness; for older adults, activity can improve mental func-
tion; and
WHEREAS, Cancer is the second leading cause of death of American
women; lung cancer is the top cancer killer among American women,
followed by breast cancer and colorectal cancer; and
WHEREAS, Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lives, and it
is the second leading cancer killer of women in the United States, next
to lung cancer; like other cancers, breast cancer often can be found
early, when the chance of successful treatment is best; in fact, many
women are even cured of the disease; and
WHEREAS, All women should get regular periodic testing for cancer and
other diseases; and
WHEREAS, Stroke is the fourth most common killer of American women;
each year, 30,000 more women than men have strokes; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in women; an
estimated 17 million Americans have diabetes, 8.1 million women, of whom
an estimated 6 million are undiagnosed; and
WHEREAS, Diabetes can be controlled by maintaining a healthy diet,
exercising, and using FDA-approved medicines, insulin, and devices every
day; and
WHEREAS, Good mental health is an important part of a woman's overall
well being; factors such as alcoholism, anxiety disorders, depression,
eating disorders, bipolar disorder (manic depressive conditions) are all
issues of concern for women; and
WHEREAS, Keeping women healthy and safe and promoting awareness of
women's health issues depend on partnerships with social, health and
other services; and
WHEREAS, Women can promote health and prevent disease and illness by
taking simple steps to improve their physical, mental, social and spir-
itual health; and
WHEREAS, Women's health remains a priority for families, communities
and government, and our commitment to keeping women healthy is stronger
than ever; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 8-14, 2016, as
Women's Health Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Women's Health Week; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.