HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3721

including the effects of poor nutrition on acute and chronic
illness of the elderly, the long-term effects of suboptional
nutrition for children and information on what makes a family
nutritionally vulnerable; and

WHEREAS, 713,934 people in Maryland are living at 150% of
the poverty level as defined by the United States Department of
Agriculture; and

WHEREAS, The poor are directly or indirectly at risk of
having less than satisfactory levels of food available which
could result in inappropriate levels of nutrition; and

WHEREAS, The popular conception of "the poor" as a
homogeneous, stable group with a similar set of attributes is not
viable in the face of current economic fluctuations; and

WHEREAS, Increasing numbers of Marylanders must avail
themselves of emergency food services, soup kitchens, and the
Maryland Food Bank; and

WHEREAS, Many agencies having program responsibilities have
been collecting data with little regular or ongoing interaction
with other agencies consequently, this data is often not uniform
or consistent; and

WHEREAS, Federal nutritional survey statistics represent a
national sample which cannot be disaggregated to be meaningful at
the State level; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene is requested to establish
study the feasibility of establishing a Nutritional Surveillance
Program within the Department to: by using and coordinating
current available data from the Food Program for Women, Infants
and Children, the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and
Treatment Program, nutrition programs for the elderly, the Food
Stamp Program, and the School Lunch and Breakfast Program and to:

(1) determine the feasibility of assuming the

responsibility to:

(1) use and coordinate currently available data from Food
Program for Women, Infants and Children, the Early Periodic
Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program, nutrition programs
for the elderly and the Food Stamp Program;

(2) (a) survey and assess on a continuing basis the
dietary and nutritional status of the citizens of Maryland;

(3) (b) determine the level and extent of the problems in
the population at risk for nutritional deficiencies and determine
their continuing causes;