|
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE MICHAEL N. CASTLE Hearing On: July 16, 2003 Good Morning. Thank you for joining us today for this important hearing on improving child nutrition programs. These programs are central to providing the nation’s children with access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. This marks the first hearing to help prepare Members of this Committee for the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the National School Lunch Act, which is scheduled for this year. There is general agreement on the importance of good nutrition for everyone, especially children. Child nutrition programs including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the Child and Adult Care Food Program help give lower-income children access to nutritious meals and snacks. Proper nutrition is essential for children to achieve full physical development and long-term health. In addition, a healthy diet is critical for a child’s academic success. Numerous studies have shown that diet affects children’s ability to learn. There are proven linkages between diet and cognitive development, concentration levels, and psycho-social behaviors. The federal child nutrition programs were conceived to offer wholesome meals and snacks to children in schools and child care centers and to support the health of lower-income pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and their young children. These programs represent a huge national investment totaling over $12 billion per year. While the resources spent have been significant, issues remain about how to best reach the goal of providing lower-income children with access to healthy, affordable meals. Childhood obesity is becoming a major health problem in the Unites States, and studies suggest that overweight children are significantly more likely to become overweight or obese adults. Children are increasingly suffering from conditions traditionally associated with adulthood, including Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. I am very concerned about childhood obesity and the fact that it is slowly becoming an epidemic. Last year the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report that identifying schools as a "key setting" for developing public health strategies to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Over the past several years, programs providing meals and snacks to children have made progress in improving lunch menus to meet Federal nutrition standards for fat and calories, but I believe more can be done to provide every child with a school environment that promotes healthy food choices and regular physical activity. In an effort to address this very issue, I introduced legislation, H.R. 2227, the Childhood Obesity Prevention Act, that would authorize grants to fund pilot programs at the state and local levels to encourage the development and implementation of programs to promote healthy eating and increased physical activity among children. This Committee will examine additional ways to address the important and complex issue of childhood obesity during the child nutrition reauthorization while supporting the role of local school districts to make decisions about the foods that are available to children in school. During reauthorization, this Committee also will consider the challenges faced by the WIC program as well as issues related to school meal reimbursement, the School Breakfast Program, and other relevant provisions aiming to strengthen the nation’s child nutrition programs. Today, we will hear from experts who will help shed light on these programs—their merits and areas where they can be made stronger. Our witnesses’ unique perspectives on child nutrition and health will offer insights that will be tremendously helpful to the Members of this Committee as we work to improve child nutrition programs. We look forward to their comments. With that, I would like to recognize Mrs. Woolsey |