Rev. Greenaway: “Science-based nutrition policy is the key to unlocking positive health outcomes.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Natalie Moran
Email: nmoran@nwica.org
WASHINGTON – On November 22, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new study demonstrating statistically significant decreases in obesity prevalence among young children (aged 2-4) participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in 41 out of 56 WIC state or territorial agencies.
Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President and CEO of the National WIC Association (NWA), issued the following statement in response:
“The CDC’s findings are important evidence of WIC’s role in assuring healthy growth and development for young children. WIC’s quality nutrition support and services shape health outcomes for a quarter of all young children in the United States. Diet-related conditions associated with obesity are one of the most significant drivers of healthcare expenditures in the United States, and WIC’s targeted nutrition support once again proves to be a substantial return on investment.
“The CDC’s study credits the 2009 revisions to the WIC food package for promoting a broader range of healthy food options for families, including additional fruit, vegetable, and whole wheat products. The National WIC Association and the broader nutrition community fought hard to ensure that the available options in the WIC food package were guided by the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and informed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Science-based nutrition policy is the key to unlocking positive health outcomes, and the work begins at the earliest moments of childhood. NWA is closely monitoring the pending Dietary Guidelines process, which will – for the first time – consider nutrition recommendations for pregnant women and children up to the age of two.
“Today’s findings are a critical reminder of the healthier and stronger country that WIC delivers when we follow the science and invest wisely in the next generation.”
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