By: Elizabeth Rahavi, RD  Date: 5/7/10

I love the sounds of the city, I also love jazz, and was lucky enough to attend Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Louisiana this past weekend. But, like so many Washingtonians, I have a hard time leaving my work behind. What was on my mind? Well, I’m happy that you asked. Last Wednesday, I attended the 2010 Nutrition Summit, which was sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the conference was to focus on the food environment and how the government can harness its efforts to make change happen. The Summit was also a call to action to heighten the country’s focus on nutrition and to engage industry and government in improving access to and purchase of healthy foods. I found the words of Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs, particularly memorable and powerful:

“No one person in this room—or any single organization represented here today—can possibly do everything needed to “change the food environment,” as we are being called on today to do. No one person or organization can possibly tackle all the scientific, economic, and societal causes of diet-related disease.

But working together, I think it is a whole different story.

It will take industry and consumer groups; it will take government…from the very highest levels to the most local. And it will take resources, brainpower and commitment from all of us—on this stage and in this room, and millions of people throughout this country.”

It’s a nuanced dance that has to take place to get the optimal sounds out of a jazz band. Sometimes the notes sound good and sometimes they don’t, but the “actors” have to go through these trials and tribulations before they take center stage. In her remarks, Kathleen Sebelius, M.P.A., Secretary of H.H.S, echoed a similar sentiment. This is not the first time that the U.S. government has gathered together to take up the charge to make change happen. In 2000, H.H.S and U.S.D.A. convened the first Food and Nutrition Summit and it was clear then that everyone needed to step up their efforts to reverse the rising trend of obesity. However, since that time rates of obesity have increased, obesity-related conditions have greatly impacted the amount of money spent on health care, and people continue to struggle with how to put nutrition and health information into action to build a healthier diet.  

With this in mind, I have to ask myself, are we ready to take center stage again? There are some really positive signs that we may be ready for our second act.

♦ Since February, both President Obama's White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity and the First Lady’s "Let's Move" initiative have been effective efforts to raise national awareness and to get Americans more focused on healthful eating and active living.

♦President Obama wants to see his cabinet working together to address the problem of childhood obesity. H.H.S, U.S.D.A., Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, Department of Education, and Department of Treasury are all working together to provide grants that can help bring grocery stores to food deserts, increase access to physical activity, provide safe places to play, and address a range of other issues that can change the default environment to one that can help sustain healthful lifestyles.

♦According to our Functional Foods/Foods for Health Consumer Trending Survey, Americans interest in learning more about how foods and beverages can improve their health is also at an all time high.

While changing the environment can go a long way in helping people make healthier choices, people also need food and nutrition recommendation put into language and tools that are easy to understand and that they can put into action. This is precisely the way that the IFIC Foundation intends to be part of the solution. We’ll be sure to blog about these new tools, tips and resources as they become available. In the meantime, tell us about some of the high notes you plan on hitting.