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Background Brief
Purpose of the National
Nutrition Summit
The National Nutrition Summit, held on May 30–31,
2000, followed on from the highly successful White House Conference
on Food, Nutrition, and Health held in 1969. There has been no comparable
gathering since the 1969 Conference. The Summit will provide an
opportunity to
- Highlight accomplishments in the areas of food, nutrition, and
health since the 1969 gathering.
- Identify continuing challenges and emerging opportunities
for the United States in these areas.
- Focus on nutrition and lifestyle issues across
the lifespan, particularly those that we confront in solving the
nation's epidemic of overweight and obesity.
DHHS and USDA are partners in leading the effort.
NIH has so far contributed half of the costs for the Summit, with
the other half contributed by the Agricultural Research Service
at USDA.
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Proposed Summit Agenda
Accomplishments and Continuing
Challenges in Nutrition and Health Since the 1969 Conference
The 1969 White House Conference was a seminal
event in bringing to public attention the importance of nutrition
in the life and well-being of the U.S. population. Emerging from
that Conference were several landmark policy efforts that have had
a profound and lasting effect, including expansion of the food stamp
program, the WIC program, food labeling, and the school lunch program.
Hunger was a motive force behind the 1969 White House Conference.
While considerable progress has been made in solving the problem
of hunger in the United States, there remain serious concerns about
food security in some segments of the population. Healthy People
2010 speaks to the progress in achieving nutrition targets in the
past decade and sets goals for the coming decade. There has been
an encouraging increase in the intake of fruits and vegetables and
the emergence of effective food labeling. On the other hand, there
has been a troubling rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity
in the United States.
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Nutrition and Lifestyle
Approaches to Solving the Nation's Epidemic of Overweight
In the ensuing 30 years, however, excesses in the
diet, coupled with more sedentary lifestyles, have created their
own dilemmas. Nearly 55 percent of the US adult population was overweight
or obese (Body Mass Index: BMI >25) in 1988–1994, compared
with 46 percent in 1976–1980. Overweight is observed in children
over 6 years of age, in both males and females, and in all subpopulations.
The increase in overweight and obesity among children is especially
worrisome and requires us to target prevention efforts at our children
and youth. This condition also represents a special burden to minority
populations. Overweight and obesity are important causes of a number
of chronic diseases in the United States, including type 2 diabetes
and coronary heart disease. Once people become overweight, many
find it frustrating and difficult to lose excess weight. A goal,
therefore, was to examine ways to prevent weight gain and maintain
fitness. For those who are overweight, we need to identify ways
for them to remain fit and healthy and to lose unhealthy weight,
if possible. Achievement of these goals requires a concerted effort
on the part of government, individuals, and the private sector in
developing methods for prevention and treatment that will reduce
the medical and social costs of overweight. Research aimed at understanding
basic mechanisms in the development of obesity, developing the most
effective interventions, and translating this knowledge into action
(including schools, worksites, and communities) will be a necessary
component.
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Nutrition
and Physical Activity Across the Lifespan
By the year 2030, 20 percent of the US population
will be over the age of 65 years. Spending for Medicare and Medicaid
is expected to double by 2030 as the population ages. Because chronic
illness and disability usually occur late in life, primary prevention
efforts directed at diet and physical activity that target all age
groups may postpone the onset of chronic illness and substantially
reduce healthcare costs. We need to focus on programs and efforts
to promote normal functioning in older Americans, an issue that
follows on from the recent White House Conference on Aging. Examples
include the promotion of calcium intake early in life to prevent
or delay the onset of osteoporosis later, and establishing community
change to foster physical activity. In developing these programs,
there are many opportunities for public-private partnerships with
groups such as AARP, community organizations, and managed care organizations.
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Audience for the Summit
The intended audience for the summit included representatives
from all levels of government, industry, academia, advocacy organizations,
professional societies, and trade associations.
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Expectations
A major goal of this Summit was to forge partnerships
among policy makers and program players at the Federal, State, and
community levels. These players can provide important leadership
in fostering healthy diets and physical activity patterns for all
Americans. The family and others, such as healthcare practitioners,
schools, community organizations, worksites, food-related businesses,
and institutional food services, also can play a key role in this
process.
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