11.01.04
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Washington, D.C., reversing the rapid rise in obesity among American children and youth will require a multi-pronged approach by schools, families, communities, industry and government that would be as comprehensive and ambitious as national anti-smoking efforts. The report called for increasing the opportunities for children to engage in physical activity and eat a healthy diet. Among specific steps recommended by the report is a call for schools to implement nutritional standards for all foods and beverages served on school grounds, including those from vending machines. The committee also recommended that schools expand opportunities for all students to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. The report also calls on the food, beverage and entertainment industries to voluntarily develop and implement guidelines for advertising and marketing directed at children and youth. Congress should give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to monitor compliance with the guidelines and establish external review boards to prohibit ads that fail to comply. Restaurants should continue to expand their offerings of nutritious foods and beverages, and should provide calorie content and other nutrition information. The committee did not call for a “junk food tax” or the repeal of agricultural subsidies. However, it did recommend that federal programs such as the Food Stamp Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) support pilot programs to increase participants’ access to nutritious foods including fruits and vegetables.