The Washington Post
Friday, May 30, 2008
The May 19 front-page story "Inertia at the Top," by Susan Levine and Lori Aratani, did not accurately reflect significant federal investments to combat obesity.
Ensuring the health and well-being of Americans is a top priority for President Bush. The HealthierUS initiative, launched in 2002 by the president, called upon all Americans to work together to increase physical activity and improve nutrition for a healthier lifestyle. Government has an important leadership role to play, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
Since 2001, investment in nutrition assistance has increased by an unprecedented 76 percent, to $60 billion. During that time, the Agriculture Department developed evidence-based nutrition guidance as part of the Dietary Guidelines and launched MyPyramid.gov -- the first federal symbol to prominently depict the balance between nutrition and daily physical activity. The department introduced a public awareness campaign on nutrition; improved the foods offered through its programs; supported nutrition education for children and food stamp recipients; and recognized more than 200 HealthierUS Schools that model nutritional excellence. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has spent approximately $4.5 billion on obesity prevention, treatment and research since 2003.