Congress
Rolls Out Plans to Trim Fat From Kids,
Not Just the Budget
By Karen MacPherson, -
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette National Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Alarmed by the nation's rising
rate of childhood obesity, Congress is considering a number of bills designed
to wean America's children from junk food and inspire them to get physically
fit.
The proposals range from better educating
health professionals, to boosting federal research on eating disorders, to
getting more vegetables into schools while getting the soda machines out.
"We know more than ever about the
combination of genetic, social, metabolic and environmental factors that play a
role in children's weight," Surgeon General Richard Carmona testified at a
recent House hearing. "But the fundamental reason that our children are
overweight is this: Too many children are eating too much and moving too
little."
One bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.,
would focus on obesity in both children and their parents, targeting money to
train health professionals, encourage healthful eating and physical fitness
programs and boost federal research on eating problems.
Another group would change the federal
school lunch program, which must be renewed by Congress next year. One proposal
would include more schools in a successful pilot program mandating more fresh
fruits and vegetables in school lunches.
Still other legislators want to force
schools to ban vending machines with sugared soft drinks and other junk food.
Another proposalboosts federal money for public nutrition education.
It is unclear if any of these measures will
win legislative approval, but health experts predict that Congress will pass
some kind of anti-obesity legislation before it adjourns at the end of next
year.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control, the percentage of American children and adolescents who are overweight
has doubled to 13 percent in 20 years. More than 60 million U.S. adults also
are overweight, and nearly three of every four children and teens fail to eat
the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day,
preferring large amounts of foods heavy with sugar and fat.
On the fitness side, the increased focus on
academics in schools has led many schools to cut or eliminate recess in
elementary schools. Daily participation in high school physical education
classes dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 29 percent in 1999.
"Changing a small number of behaviors [for
example, eating better and being more physically active] could have broad
health effects," said Tom Baranowski, who works with the federally funded
Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine.
Increased obesity has led to a rise of
health problems in children, including diabetes, heart disease and asthma. In
addition, overweight children often are stigmatized by their peers, which may
lead to emotional problems.
Obesity carries a high price tag. "In the
year 2000," Carmona said, "the total annual cost of obesity in the United
States was $117 billion. While extra-value meals may save us some change at the
counter, they're costing us billions of dollars in health care and lost
productivity."
Although a number of federal programs
already aim at helping families fight obesity, lawmakers in Congress believe
that still more can be done to fight the obesity epidemic.
Among measures now pending, the
Frist-Bingaman bill takes the most comprehensive approach. The bill, formally
called the "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act," or "IMPACT," would
create a $60 million demonstration program to fund local programs designed to
instill healthy eating habits and spur higher levels of fitness.
"With increasing rates of obesity among
both juvenile and adult populations, it's critical that we act to raise
awareness of healthy behavior and the risks of obesity," Frist said. "Obesity
is, for the most part, preventable."
To avoid unintentionally increasing other
weight problems, such as anorexia or bulimia, the Frist-Bingaman bill would
include money to address eating disorders.
"While it is so important to fight the
obesity epidemic, we should not inadvertently send the wrong message by telling
our children and adults simply to eat less and exercise," said Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. "Unfortunately, many adolescents misinterpret this as a
message that they should eat to achieve the body of a runway model."
Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., is proposing
legislation focused on eating disorders. Her bill calls for a federal public
awareness campaign and would require a study on the impact eating disorders
have on educational achievement.
Another bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike
Castle, R-Del., would provide grants for programs to encourage healthy eating
and physical fitness among children and their families.
Not everyone is happy with the way Congress
is attempting to address obesity.
Officials at the Council on Size &
Weight Discrimination contend that the IMPACT proposal, in particular, points a
finger of blame at overweight children and adults and condones "weight
discrimination."
A letter the council is asking its members
to send to lawmakers says: "A better approach would be to introduce legislation
that promotes nutrition education and physical activity opportunities for
children and adults of all sizes. That would improve the public health without
stigmatizing those who are heavier than average." |
