Next week, the White House will hold its first summit on hunger, nutrition and health in more than 50 years. It’s long overdue.
The previous conference, in 1969, led to hundreds of policy changes and the launch of critical nutritional safety nets. This year’s gathering is just as urgent — and the moment demands a bold, whole-of-government response.
The Biden administration must seize this opportunity to develop food policies that will improve health at every level, from the personal to the planetary. Education is not enough. Our diets and activity patterns are heavily influenced by economics, access and marketing — and all those factors can be shaped for the better with smart federal policies.
Why do we need change? Look at the coexistence of food insecurity and obesity. Even before the pandemic and recent inflation, more than 38 million Americans lacked consistent access to healthy nourishment. At the same time, obesity rates have increased unrelentingly, and more than two-thirds of adults now are overweight or obese. That has contributed to a much shorter life span in the U.S. than in other countries with advanced economies.
This matters beyond personal suffering: The costs ripple through our health care system, our labor market, our economy and even our national security — only an estimated 2 in 5 young adults are weight eligible and adequately active to serve in the U.S. military.
On the community level, we see a crisis of equity. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods often have little access to fresh fruits and vegetables and a surfeit of heavily processed snacks laden with salt, refined starch and sugar. Such diets drive up the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and more.
Finally, there’s the planetary impact. The foods we grow, process and consume have major impacts on climate change, antibiotic resistance and susceptibility to pandemics. Food policies can quite literally shape the future of humankind — and right now, they’re harming it.
The White House conference is a crucial opportunity for course correction. Here are five big policy goals:
- Make nutritious foods accessible to all. Access to healthy food is a basic human right, and we must treat it as such. Congress should adjust the tax code to spur more stores in low-income neighborhoods to stock fresh produce. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) must begin a serious effort to improve the quality of diets its funds support. And the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) must modernize with digital wallets, online check-ins and outreach via social media to boost enrollment.
- Protect children from harmful food marketing. Children are bombarded with advertisements for unhealthy foods and drinks, and studies show a direct association with an increased risk of obesity. A handful of countries have restricted the marketing of high-sodium or high-sugar foods to children, and these policies have been shown to improve diets. The U.S. should follow suit.
- Strengthen food labeling. To help consumers make better choices, we need to mandate straightforward, science-based labels for packaged foods. Many countries have front-of-package labeling to identify unhealthy foods high in added sugars, sodium, saturated fat and calories, and have seen improved nutritional quality as a result. Congress must require similar action.
- Commit to a sustainable food system. Food sustainability is missing from the five pillars the White House outlined for the summit. This is a glaring omission. The U.S. should lead in transforming agricultural subsidies and regulatory policies to favor foods that are healthy for both the individual and the planet. This means encouraging a shift from animal proteins to more plant-based options. The recent Inflation Reduction Act supports sustainable farming, but we must go further. Congress should invest in research to learn how to make this shift efficiently. Federal food procurement policies should also be redesigned to encourage sustainable production and nutritious diets.
- Improve infrastructure to support active living. Our physical activity is shaped by our built environment, and our infrastructure makes it too easy to default to sedentary lifestyles. Policymakers must use every lever to make it safer, more convenient and more routine for residents of all ages to walk, bike and play. The recent infrastructure law should be a catalyst for sustained investment to improve recreational facilities and boost walkability.
Too often, conferences are all talk, no action. The 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health broke that paradigm, thanks to a powerful coalition of researchers, policymakers, consumer advocates and industry leaders committed to following the data toward evidence-based reforms.
Five decades later, we need more bold action. Americans deserve food and nutrition policies that make it easier for us all to live full and healthy lives. America’s well-being depends on it.
Frank Hu, the chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, co-chaired a committee analyzing the impact of the 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health. Walter Willett is a professor of epidemiology and nutrition, and Lilian Cheung is director of health promotion and communication in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Chan School.