Federal Overview for Public Health Nutrition

Dept. of Homeland Security

Some Major Public Health Nutrition Players:

• USDA• Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion• Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension

Service (CSREES)

• Department of Health and Human Services• CDC• HRSA• NIH• Administration on Aging• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

USDA Mission

• “We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.”

Tom VilsackTom Vilsack

Food, Nutrition Service and Consumer Services (FNS)

• Works to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people with access to food, a healthy diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports U.S. agriculture and inspires public confidence in the Nation's domestic nutrition assistance programs.

• FNS nutrition assistance programs represent about half of USDA's budget.

Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Child Nutrition Programs

• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

• Child and Adult Care Food Program • Food Distribution Programs• Disaster Assistance

FNS Programs

Child Nutrition Programs

• School Meals– National School Lunch Program– School Breakfast Program– Special Milk Program– Team Nutrition

• Summer Food Service Program

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)

• “The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.”

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)

• Partner with HHS for Dietary Guidelines• Healthy Eating Index• Nutrient Content of the Food Supply• My Pyramid• Thrifty Food Plan• Publications:

– Nutrition Insights– Family Economics and Nutrition Review

Thrifty Food Plan

• Last revised 2006• Establishes menus and market basket costs

for a minimal cost healthful diet• Based on 2005 Dietary Guidelines for

Americans, 2005 My Pyramid. • Used as the basis for food stamp allocation

decisions, and to determine the federal poverty level

Federal Poverty Guidelines• Poverty thresholds were originally derived in

1963-1964, using:– U.S. Department of Agriculture food budgets

designed for families under economic stress– Data about what portion of their income families spent

on food• The current thresholds were originally developed

as the cost of a minimum diet times three • If total family income is less than the threshold

appropriate for that family, the family is in poverty

Food Research Action Committee (FRAC) on the Thrifty Food Plan

• “USDA research shows that only 12 percent of low income households who spend at the Thrifty Food Plan level get their recommended dietary allowances for 11 key nutrients.”

http://www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/programs/fsp_faq.html

FRAC on the Thrifty Food Plan, cont.

• The Thrifty Food Plan contains a number of assumptions which may not be accurate for many food stamp recipients. For example, purchasing foods for a nutritious diet requires adequate food preparation facilities, extensive time for food preparation, an in-depth knowledge about nutrition and inexpensive transportation to warehouse-type grocery stores or supermarkets.

Time Scarcity & Policy

• Thrifty Food Plan (1999) takes 16.1 hours a week to prepare.– Mean weekly time for food preparation by

employed women in 1999 was 6.4 hours• Time scarcity exacerbated by lack of:

– Reliable, convenient transportation– Affordable quality childcare– Job flexibility Reference: Jabs

Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Departmentof Health & Human Services

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

National Institutes of HealthMany institutes include nutrition-related research

portfolios:• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)• National Institute on Aging (NIA) • National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive &

Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) • National Institute of Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD)• National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences (NIEHS)• John E. Fogarty International Center (FIC)• National Center for Complimentary and

Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)• National Cancer Institute

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

• Diverse Agency– Direct Services– Supporting health care infrastructure

• Community and Migrant Health Services• Health Centers

• Maternal and Child Health• Block Grants to States• Discretionary Grants

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC): Mission

• Collaborating to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.

Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPHDirector, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)

National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)

National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP)

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)

National Center for Preparedness, Detection and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID)

National Center for Public Health Informatics (NCPHI)

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

CDC Centers

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Vision: All people living healthy lives free from the devastation of chronic diseases.

• Mission: To lead efforts that promote health and well-being through prevention and control of chronic diseases

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

NPAO: Supporting State Programs

1. Increase physical activity. 2. Increase the consumption of fruits and

vegetables. 3. Decrease the consumption of sugar sweetened

beverages. 4. Increase breastfeeding initiation, duration and

exclusivity. 5. Reduce the consumption of high energy dense

foods. 6. Decrease television viewing.

DHHS: Office of Disease Prevention and Health

Promotion,• Works to strengthen the disease prevention

and health promotion priorities of the Department within the collaborative framework of the HHS agencies.

• Collaborated with USDA on Dietary Guidelines

Administration on Aging (AoA)

• Elderly Nutrition Program

Grants to support nutrition services to older people throughout the country. The Elderly Nutrition Program, authorized under Title III, Grants for State and Community Programs on Aging, and Title VI, Grants for Native Americans, under the Older Americans Act, is intended to improve the dietary intakes of participants and to offer participants opportunities to form new friendships and to create informal support networks.

Administration on Aging (AoA): Nutrition Services to Older Adults

• Congregate & Home Delivered Meals• Nutrition screening• Nutrition education• Counseling• Supportive Health Services