Obesity Report Recommends Nutritional Guidelines for Babies, Toddlers

By Jane Norman, CQ HealthBeat Associate Editor

Recommendations in a new report on obesity issued Tuesday reach all the way down to babies and toddlers, as policy makers increasingly seek ways to prevent childhood obesity before it begins.

Two former Health and Human Services secretaries and two former Agriculture secretaries teamed up to back the report by the Bipartisan Policy Center that offers what its Democratic and Republican authors termed possible “real life” solutions to the very difficult problem of how to curb obesity in the United States. The 105-page report is titled “Lots to Lose.”

One recommendation is that the HHS and Department of Agriculture develop, implement and promote national dietary guidelines for the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, including for pregnant women and toddlers up to the age of 2. Current guidelines, which are published every five years, begin for children at the age of 2.

While the federal guidelines aren’t mandatory for individuals, they form the basis of federal nutrition and food assistance programs and also may influence state and local policies on taxation or limitations on food and beverages.

The center’s report wasn’t specific about how guidelines should be set or what they should consist of for this group of very young children. But former Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman said the discussion should begin because obesity among children has become so pervasive that there are predictions that today’s children may have lower life expectancies than their parents. Veneman and the other former secretaries attended Tuesday’s event where the center’s report was released.

Half of severely obese adults were obese as children, and one in five U.S. children is obese by the age of 6, with the number closer to one in three in Latino populations, said Veneman, who served in the George W. Bush administration.

Taste, habits and even metabolism are established very early on, and setting guidelines earlier in life could be important, she said. “Finding opportunities early in life to improve health outcomes is among the most strategic, humane and cost-effective ways to prioritize our resources,” Veneman said.

The U.S. lags behind other nations around the world when it comes to many health measures, she said, and spends more money per capita on health care with poorer outcomes. “One area where we lag behind is in our focus on nutrition in early childhood,” Veneman said, with the time between birth and age 2 “critical” for proper development.

On the same morning that the center’s report was issued, first lady Michelle Obama was present for an announcement by The Walt Disney Co. that food and beverage ads carried on its programming and products will meet nutritional guidelines tied to federal standards. A new “Mickey Check” icon will mark nutritious food and drink options in its stores, online and at Disney parks and resorts.

The Institute of Medicine recently issued a report on obesity, and HBO produced a documentary, so there’s been plenty said recently on the topic. But Dan Glickman, who served as Agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration, said what makes the center’s report different is that the four leaders of the effort represent both political parties. They also share concern over the national debt and its impact on health costs. “Those health care costs are the primary driver of the increase in our debt,” said Glickman.

The two other former secretaries involved with the report were Donna Shalala, secretary of Health and Human Services under Clinton, and Michael Leavitt, HHS secretary under George W. Bush.

The center’s other recommendations include that:

• National physical activity guidelines should be developed for children under age 6.

• USDA should ensure all its nutrition assistance programs reflect and support federal dietary guidelines.

• Hospitals, employers, communities and insurers should unite to support and promote breastfeeding.

• Schools should require 60 minutes a day of physical activity.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should develop a database of exemplary workplace wellness programs and include a rigorous cost/benefit analysis.

• USDA should do more to figure out ways to increase the affordability of fruits, vegetables and legumes, including establishment of a generic fruit and vegetable promotion board.