For the first time in more than 50 years, a conference was held on eliminating hunger, enhancing nutrition, physical activity. Also lowering diseases and disparities associated with diets, was held at TWH by President Biden.
Bold Statements. Again.
In 1969, Nixon vowed “to put an end to hunger in America…for all time.”
The previous WH Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health was held under President Nixon. Since then, both the science of nutrition and the problems with food, nutrition, health, and hunger in our country have advanced significantly. Now, President Biden wants, by 2030, to eradicate hunger and improve healthy eating and exercise so that fewer Americans develop diet-related illnesses including diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Developing a New National Strategy
TWH Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health was held on Wednesday, September 28, at the White House during the Biden-Harris administration. A National Strategy has been made public by the administration. The federal government will take the steps listed in this link, which is outside of health.gov, to push solutions to these problems. You can access the 44 pages PDF – here
5 Pillars of the National Strategy
The five pillars of the National Policy are:
- Increased food access and affordability.
- Integration of nutrition and health;
- Empowerment of all consumers to choose and access healthy choices.
- Promote everyone’s physical activity. Improve research on nutrition and food security.
Private Sector Help
According to their executive summary after the conference: The federal government cannot eliminate hunger and lower illnesses linked to nutrition on its own. The commercial sector, state, tribal, local, and territorial governments, academics, nonprofit organizations, and community organizations must all take action.
This plan outlines calls to action for each of these organizations to play their part. My hope is that these changes won’t affect in a bad way the dietary, health and the whole ecosystem that revolves around everyone’s nutrition
Eat as if it were medication
There is a rising push to include food and nutrition into healthcare by giving patients access to nutritious meals. Also to include supplies to assist manage or prevent diet-related illnesses.
New labels: Low sugars and fats
New concept of mandating that nutrition labels on the front of food packaging indicate the amount of sugar and fat is also receiving greater attention.
Front-of-package nutrition labels are among the suggested policy measures in an official task force report sent to the conference. President and chief executive officer of the Sugar Association, stated that it would be “very foolish” to not take the advice seriously.
Bottom line
The 44 pages strategy won’t work, along with the WH CTA, if the whole society doesn’t develop this attitude. The whole society, including the state and local authorities along with private sector needs to support this national effort. You may want to look my other articles on healthy eating.
