SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 1216 words

COMMITTEE: SENATE AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY

HEADLINE: 2002 FARM BILL

TESTIMONY-BY: DR. CUTBERTO GARZA MD. PH.D., PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES

AFFILIATION: CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA, NY

BODY:
19 July 2001

Oral Testimony Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry United States Senate

Presented by:

Dr. Cutberto Garza Md. Ph.D. Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca, NY

Chairman Harkin and other Committee Members. Good morning. I am Cutberto Garza, Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. I have had the unique privilege of chairing several efforts related to agriculture and nutrition over a relatively short period. Chairing the 1999 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, the US-EU Biotechnology Consultative Forum, the United Nations University's Food and Nutrition Program, and on-going efforts to revise international growth standards for infants and young children provides a unique domestic and international perspective on nutrition and agriculture. The compelling message delivered consistently in each of the activities I chaired was that the public has moved beyond major concerns related to classical nutrient deficiencies. And, although they remain concerned with diseases of nutrient excess, they expect that the food supply not only protect us from disease, but also help us achieve a state of well-being that transcends the absence of disease for the longest possible duration at little or no risk. These aspirations should not surprise us. Public expectations related to the food supply have increased steadily in the last 100 years and are likely to increase further.

Fortunately, these expectations are not misplaced. Our limited, but expanding understanding that what we eat can promote optimal development and protect or predispose us to diet related diseases supports the public's expectations. And these expectations also are supported by our increasing abilities to manipulate the composition of our food supply.

Thus, the significant domestic and international interests in nutrition, health, food, and agriculture and our expanding scientific capabilities place us in an extraordinarily privileged position. We should maximize our undisputed advantages in these areas by strengthening USDA programs that sponsor peer reviewed research, improving our nutrition survey capabilities, and assuring that domestic and international programs related to food and nutrition both reflect the best scientific understanding and are of a breadth and scope that match our achievements.

Unfortunately, however, neither the country's nor the world's nutritional health reflects the public interest in diet and health or the growing scientific understanding of the role of diet in genetic regulation. Time permits that I review only two examples of my concerns. The first relates to the need for more cohesive approaches for preventing childhood obesity and the second is to strengthening approaches for tackling childhood malnutrition internationally.

Data from US nutrition surveys from the last thirty years indicate that the childhood prevalence of obesity has increased relentlessly in the United States. In the early 1970's four percent of children 6 to 11 years of age and six percent of 12 to 19 year olds were classified as obese. By 1999, the prevalence of obesity among young children more than tripled to approximately 13% and more than doubled to 14% in older children.

More alarming is that this trend speaks only to elusive averages. These numbers are worse when we examine trends among children who are likeliest to be poor, i.e. by 1994 the rate of obesity among Mexican American children 6 to 11 years of age was an astounding 17%, for African American youth 12 to 19 years it was 15% and 16% among all poor children. The group responsible for harmonizing nutrition activities within the UN system sounds a similar alarm for the world. Although incompletely understood, food insecurity, i.e. the lack of confidence that food will be accessible consistently, appears to increase the risk to overweight and obesity.

These trends alert us to serious short- and longer-term health problems that are exemplified by the growing number of children with type 2 diabetes, a condition also known as adult onset diabetes because it was exceedingly rare in children. Now, the American Diabetes Association warns us that Type 2 diabetes is commonly a disease of childhood onset. Obese children also are at risk to heart, skeletal, and other abnormalities. And, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that nutritional problems in the parental generation will have adverse long-term effects on their children.

All the reasons for these alarming trends are not clear whether we look domestically or internationally. With little doubt, nutritional, social, behavioral, cultural, environmental, and other biological factors conspire to produce a positive imbalance between energy intake and expenditure in ways that are understood incompletely. More worrisome still is that unwanted weight gain is very difficult to reverse. Thus prevention is key. A comprehensive and systematic assessment of the biologic and environmental factors that are responsible for these trends and the development of a cohesive strategy to prevent childhood obesity needed to bind the numerous public and private efforts striving to cope with the status quo and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

In an analogous manner the causes of malnutrition also are complex. A comprehensive strategy also is needed to tackle it. The number of malnourished children in the world remains intolerably high in part because we lack a sufficiently bold vision to minimize it. We know the "recipe" for making healthy children. Good nutrition is a key ingredient, but not a magic bullet. I am concerned that the overdue recognition of micronutrient deficiencies is creating the illusion that supplying a few micronutrients will solve the problem of malnutrition. Although, tackling micronutrient deficiencies is an obviously important start, it will not be sufficient. Fortunately, current knowledge permits us to act more comprehensively. The bipartisan food for education bill sponsored by Chairman Harkin, Senator Lugar and a number of other Agriculture Committee Senators and promotes an international school feeding program is an example of an effort that is responsive to humanitarian needs while reaching simultaneously for worthwhile educational and biological outcomes. As proposals of this type are explored, critiqued, and championed more broadly, partnerships should be encouraged that link them to programs tackling malnutrition in other critical life stages. Thus, a program meeting food needs during key developmental periods in school aged children can strive to deal with hunger, tackle micronutrient deficiencies, improve the education of young women, enhance learning, and, in the longer term, establish self- sustaining, health promoting behaviors associated with improved educational achievement.

In summary, we have some remarkable opportunities. The success of our agricultural system permits us to look beyond survival to well being at every life stage. It is my hope that the farm bill backs these advantages.

Thank you again for the time to share my views with you.



LOAD-DATE: July 23, 2001