Agricultural policy and childhood obesity: a food systems and public health commentary.
For thirty-five years, U.S. agriculture has operated under a "cheap food" policy that spurred production of a few commodity crops, not fruit or vegetables, and thus of the calories from them. A key driver of childhood obesity is the consumption of excess calories, many from inexpensive, nutrient-poor snacks, sweets, and sweetened beverages made with fats and sugars derived from these policy-supported crops. Limiting or eliminating farm subsidies to commodity farmers is wrongly perceived as a quick fix to a complex agricultural system, evolved over decades, that promotes obesity. Yet this paper does set forth a series of policy recommendations that could help, including managing commodity crop oversupply and supporting farmers who produce more fruit and vegetables to build a healthier, more balanced agricultural policy.
Wallinga
David
D
Food and Health Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. dwallinga@iatp.org
D000383:Agriculture / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States