| Background
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached nationwide
epidemic proportions, creating a major public health problem
in this country. Two-thirds of premature deaths in the United
States, estimated by the Department of Health and Human Services
at 1,200 deaths a day, are due to poor nutrition, physical
inactivity and tobacco use. The National Alliance for Nutrition
and Activity (NANA) found that being overweight and/or obese
presently affects 65 percent of American adults, making obesity
the nation’s fastest growing public health problem.
There
is no question that the level of media attention to the obesity
crisis has resulted in heightened public attention to the
issue. On October 29, 2003, the Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee unanimously approved a bill introduced
by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) that would provide
federal grants to cities and schools to promote physical activity
and to provide nutrition classes. The grants proposed by Majority
Leader Frist in the “Improved Nutrition and Physical
Activity Act,” known as the IMPACT Act, is expected
go toward community development programs as well as programs
to encourage businesses to help employees increase their physical
activity. Specifically, IMPACT would provide $125 million
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
state governments for education programs, $40 million to health
clinics that provide services to minority groups disproportionately
affected by obesity, and $10 million to train health care
employees to identify and treat individuals at risk for obesity.
The bill also would fund studies to determine the effectiveness
of diet plans.
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and President Bush have helped
to raise the profile of the problem of obesity, particularly
the relationship of obesity to diabetes and heart disease.
In September, the USDA in conjunction with HHS and other agencies
requested public comment on proposed revisions to the daily
food intake patterns that serve as technical basis for the
Food Guide Pyramid. Originally developed in 1992 to implement
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a revamped Food Guide Pyramid
is set to be unveiled in 2005 after consideration of comments
submitted by the public.
ACC
Activity
In 2002, the ACC joined the National Alliance for Nutrition
and Activity (NANA). This more than 150-member coalition advocates
national policies and programs to promote healthy eating and
physical activity to help reduce the illnesses, disabilities,
premature deaths, and costs caused by diet- and inactivity-related
diseases. One of the primary goals of NANA is to cultivate
champions in Congress and the administration for nutrition,
physical activity, and obesity prevention.
Recent
Activity
In July, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson
announced changes to the Medicare coverage policy, potentially
opening the door for coverage of obesity-related medical conditions.
The change removes language from the Medicare Coverage Issues
Manual stating that obesity is not an illness. Although HHS
has not officially declared obesity a disease, the new
policy allows Medicare officials to review obesity treatments
for their effect on health outcomes. If research can prove
that treatments such as gastric-bypass surgery or diet counseling
can lead to better health, then they could be eligible for
coverage under Medicare.
Outlook
Some of the initiatives currently under discussion in Congress
include:
- Reauthorization
of H.R. 3873, “The U.S. Child Nutrition Program”
aimed at enhancing and strengthening the “Team Nutrition”
program;
-
The “Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids Initiative;”
- Updating
and improving the USDA’s Women, Infants and Children
(WIC) program to improve nutritional quality;
-
Nutrition labeling in all chain restaurants;
-
Strengthening the CDC’s physical activity, nutrition
and obesity programs through a strong FY 2005 appropriation
level for the promotion of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition
and Physical Activity (DNPA);
-
Securing an appropriate funding level for the President’s
“Steps to a Healthier U.S. Initiative.” As of
July, the House Appropriations Committee passed a recommended
$12 for this initiative in FY 2005, much less than past
requests of $100 million.
|
