Health and Wellness Coach Week began on Capitol Hill on Monday, which supports and promotes health coaching.  

The first event was a briefing, “Turning New Year’s Resolutions Into Lasting Positive Change,” sponsored by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The other main event is a cooking demonstration on Friday featuring nutritionist Holli Thompson. Social media campaigns will also occur throughout the week. “Now more than ever, we need to recognize the contributions of health and wellness coaches and lend them support as they continue to inspire positive behavior changes that will dramatically lower our nation’s health care costs,” Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-N.J., said in a statement.  

Payne and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Health and Wellness Coach Resolution on Dec. 3, which recognizes and supports health coaches’ work in combating the global health crisis, according to the release.  

“We are in the midst of a global health crisis. For the first time in history children will likely have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Sadly, of the $4 trillion spent on health care in the U.S. this year, only 2% goes towards prevention,” Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, said. “Preventive chronic diseases are costing us billions. It is imperative that we fight this epidemic with education and smarter lifestyle choices.”  

Reps. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., Grace F. Napolitano, D-Calif., Mark Takai, D-Hawaii, Grace Meng, D-N.Y.. and Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., are also sponsors.  

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