West Virginia House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee Chairman Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, is announcing his plans to continue driving bold legislative action that helps shape nationwide health policy, using a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a beacon.
According to the CDC, nearly one in three American teenagers now has prediabetes, a statistic Chairman Worrell described as alarming and unacceptable.
“This is a public health crisis unfolding before our eyes, particularly in West Virginia where we already struggle with some of the nation’s highest rates of obesity and diabetes,” Worrell said. “I know we can make West Virginia a national leader in turning the tide on childhood diabetes.”
West Virginia became the first state in the country to enact a ban on certain food dyes and chemicals during Worrell’s first year as Health Committee Chairman, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and other federal officials visiting the state to applaud the legislation.
Worrell said ultra-processed foods have fueled the prediabetes crisis, with outdated USDA meal-compliance standards allowing artificial additives and inflammatory oils to become staples in school breakfasts and lunches throughout the Mountain State.
“When you walk into many school cafeterias, you’ll find trays full of processed meats, shelf-stable muffins and flavored milks packed with added sugars,” he said. “That’s not nourishment; it’s a recipe for metabolic disaster.”
Worrell has already been working on refining his legislative priorities for the 2026 regular session with a focus on two areas: Healthy Schools for Healthy Futures and Active Kids for Strong Communities.
“These are generational issues that need decisive action now,” Worrell said. “We all have a responsibility to act — not just as legislators, but as parents and citizens of this great state, and I refuse to relegate tens of thousands of young West Virginians to lives of chronic disease, reduced productivity and unnecessary suffering.
“I pledged to use my role as Health Committee Chairman to help Make West Virginia Healthy Again. We’ve taken big strides already, but much work remains, and I’m eager to keep West Virginia at the forefront.”
