IARN — USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says nutrition security concerns grew during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a recent appearance at the Teacher’s College at Columbia University, Vilsack said his agency is concerned about nutrition security.
“We learned from this pandemic, the linkage between nutrition security and health. It was surprising to me, and maybe it was surprising to some of you, that two-thirds of the COVID-related hospitalizations that occurred, and are occurring, have been related to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart failure; these are all diet-related conditions. Stated another way, poor nutrition is connected to the leading cause of illnesses that take over 600,000 lives every year.”
Vilsack says the agency is taking steps to integrate nutrition security into its food support programs.
“I mentioned the review of the Thrifty Food Plan. Part of the reason we did this is that we surveyed folks, and what we found was that at the end of the month, people who were receiving supplemental nutrition assistance at the end of the month were making tough decisions. They weren’t in a position financially to be able to decide whether or not to buy that fruit and vegetable that they knew they wanted to buy but couldn’t. So, we looked at the Thrifty Food Plan, and we increased it. We’re looking for ways to improve the WIC package; constantly looking at ways in which we take the science and make sure that we expand, change, and transform that WIC package, and expand the knowledge and awareness of WIC so that more who are qualified for the program participate in the program. And when they do that, they have a wide range within this package that exposes them to fruits and vegetables that they might not otherwise ever know.”
Vilsack added that diet-related diseases don’t just affect individual health, they also have an economic and financial cost.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
Pictured: USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks to reporters at Commodity Classic on Friday, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Brent Barnett)
