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Legislation Targets the Girth of a Nation

Legislation introduced in Congress before the summer recess calls upon the federal government to help America get on its feet and fend off obesity.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), ranking member on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, introduced a $5 billion health reform bill designed to promote better nutrition and increase physical activity to prevent obesity and other chronic illnesses.

Harkin's Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention (HeLP) America Act would make more fruits and vegetables available in schools and provide alternatives to the "junk food" sold in school vending machines. It would give the Secretary of Agriculture authority to prohibit marketing and advertising of food in schools that participate in the federal school lunch or breakfast programs.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD, (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced a separate proposal called the Childhood Obesity Reduction Act. The Frist-Wyden measure forms a congressional council to study and develop educational programs that encourage students to make better nutritional choices and increase their physical activity.

The Frist-Wyden bill currently has five cosponsors and is supported by the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), which represents food, beverage, and consumer product companies.

The Harkin bill, which has no cosponsors as yet, reaches beyond schools by allowing tax credits for companies that offer health promotion programs, such as paying for gym memberships or providing exercise equipment at work. It also calls for incentives for communities to build more sidewalks, bike lanes, and intersections on new and reconstructed roads.

Additionally, the HeLP America Act requires chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to provide nutritional information on their menus. It allows the Federal Trade Commission to issue restrictions on advertising geared toward children. Harkin's proposal also calls for coverage of counseling for nutrition and exercise, mental health screening, substance use, smoking cessation, and injury prevention in federal health programs. The legislation also would expand research regarding obesity prevention, treatment, and control in the primary care setting.

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Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beckley, E. T. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Beckley, E. T. Social Bookmarking                What's this?