UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
Statement of Eric J. Hentges, Executive Director
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Before the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
March 8, 2007
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and members of the Subcommittee,
for allowing me this opportunity to present testimony in support of the
Administration’s budget for fiscal year 2008.
With the Nation facing significant public health issues related
to the quality of the American diet, I believe that the outcome-based efforts of
the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion are key to promoting more
healthful eating behaviors and lifestyles across the Nation. By developing and
promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs
of consumers, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion plays a critical
role in how USDA meets its strategic goal to improve the Nation’s nutrition and
health. The work of the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion also
contributes to the goals of the President’s Healthier US initiative.
Healthful Lifestyles: Goal of Federal Nutrition Guidance and
Education
Recent studies of America’s dietary and physical activity
behaviors reveal disturbing trends. First, a combination of poor diet and
sedentary lifestyle not only undermines quality of life and productivity, but
also contributes to the preventable causes of death each year in the United
States.
Second, overweight and obesity are contributing factors to
problems associated with reduced quality of life. Recent statistics are
staggering: 65 percent of adults (ages 20 to 74) are overweight, with 31 percent
among this group classified as obese. Children and adolescents have not escaped
this unhealthy trend: among 6- to 19-year-olds, 16 percent (over 9 million) are
overweight—triple the proportion in 1980. Another 15 percent are at risk of
becoming overweight. With estimates indicating that obesity-related medical
expenditures in the United States reached $75 billion in 2003, the health of
Americans is a serious and growing concern that must be addressed.
Third, the lack of physical activity has been associated with a
number of conditions, including diabetes, overweight and obesity, cardiovascular
disease, and certain cancers. Supporting evidence indicates that less than half
(46 percent) of the U.S. population meets the recommended level of physical
activity. USDA’s development and implementation of Federal nutrition
guidance—including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food
Guidance System that recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity most
days—are critical in helping to curtail and eventually reverse some of these
disturbing trends.
Preparation Required for 2010 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans
In January 2005, the USDA and Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) released the sixth edition of the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans, a science-based blueprint for promoting good nutrition and health.
The Guidelines are the basis for Federal nutrition policy and provide advice for
Americans, ages two years and older, about food choices that promote health and
prevent disease, set standards for the nutrition assistance programs, guide
nutrition research and education efforts, and are the basis for USDA nutrition
promotion activities. To promote the messages of the Guidelines, the Center for
Nutrition Policy and Promotion uses on-line interactive tools, as well as a
variety of print materials, to reach the general public and targeted audiences.
All nutrition assistance programs, a multiplicity of nutrition
education and promotion programs Government-wide, as well as private sector
nutrition education and promotion, use the Guidelines as their focal point. It
is critical that the Guidelines be both scientifically up-to-date and in touch
with the realities of contemporary living. Congress has mandated, in Public Law
101-445, that USDA and DHHS review the Guidelines at least every five years.
Both Departments alternate administrative leadership of this review. USDA has
the administrative lead for the 2010 Guidelines.
The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has already begun
to prepare planning strategies for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. USDA will use
these strategies to lead interagency coordination and to implement a new
evidence-based system that will be used by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee when reviewing the most recent scientific literature. Historically,
this committee has developed dietary recommendations through the examination of
scientific research by using a “critical review” approach. However, the 2010
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will use a more rigorous and transparent
approach that is known as an “evidence-based review.” This evidence-based
approach has been used for many years in the medical community and is recognized
as the gold standard for developing public health guidance. When the 2010
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee meets, it will for the first time use an
evidence-based approach in developing dietary guidance. The result will be that
policymakers, opinion leaders and the general public can have increased
confidence in the dietary guidance developed by the Federal Government.
MyPyramid Encourages Healthful Diets and Lifestyles
In April 2005, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
launched a new interactive Web site devoted to dietary guidance called
MyPyramid.gov. The public’s use of MyPyramid tools has exceeded expectations and
continues to increase. Visitors to MyPyramid.gov use a number of interactive
tools including: MyPyramid Tracker, MyPyramid Plan, Inside MyPyramid, MyPyramid
for Kids, and MiPirámide (the Spanish-language version). As a result,
MyPyramid.gov has had over 2.6 billion hits, mostly from general consumers,
students, and educators and teachers, making it one of the most popular
government Web sites in history. Today, there are over 2.1 million registered
users of MyPyramid Tracker, the assessment tool for dietary and physical
activity status.
In an effort to maintain and improve MyPyramid.gov according to
consumer response, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion instituted an
online survey for individuals visiting the Web site. Most survey respondents
indicated that the information at MyPyramid.gov prompted them to take positive
actions toward improving their health. However, the high volume of Web traffic
and the limited financial resources available for hosting, maintenance, and
enhancements are seriously threatening the future viability of this widely used
Web site.
The President’s budget requests $5 million for the Center for
Nutrition Policy and Promotion. This budget would allow USDA to prepare for the
tasks associated with the review and development of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans. Planning and preparation have begun, but we must increase our
efforts significantly in 2008 to ensure a successful completion. Specifically,
these requested funds would be used to (1) develop a fully operational
evidence-based system that ensures Federal nutrition guidance is based on sound
scientific evidence, and (2) support the administrative functions that are
essential to conducting the business of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee.
In addition, the requested funds for MyPyramid.gov would provide
for (1) the maintenance and upgrade of related computer hardware and software,
(2) increased operational costs associated with high volume usage of the Web
site, and (3) developmental costs associated with improvements to MyPyramid
educational tools. Finally, funds would be used to (4) maintain the on-line
evaluation survey for MyPyramid.gov to ascertain whether the on-line tools meet
the expectations of the public.
With the support of the House Committee on Appropriations, we
look forward to continuing to build and better promote personalized and
individualized nutrition guidance tools—such as MyPyramid.gov—that reach
millions of Americans. Your support will help set the foundation for future
development of nutrition policy that is vital to addressing the growing problems
associated with overweight and obesity and the related health challenges in
America.
I thank the Committee for the opportunity to present this
written testimony.
Last modified:
11/26/2008
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