Cohen Votes to Combat Childhood Hunger, Childhood Obesity in America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted to support legislation to reduce childhood hunger and childhood obesity across America.

“No child should ever go hungry,” said Congressman Cohen. “This measure would help reduce childhood hunger by increasing access to child nutrition programs and would provide healthier food options in schools to help combat childhood obesity.”

The bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S.3307) contains the most significant improvements to child nutrition programs in more than 30 years. The measure has two major goals: reducing childhood hunger and reducing childhood obesity. Both of these problems have gotten worse in recent years. Currently, the poverty rate for children is 20.7 percent -- up from 15.6 percent in 2000 -- and childhood hunger is correlated with poverty. In addition, one in three children are currently either overweight or obese -- up dramatically over the last 20 years.

This bill would: 1) improve the nutritional quality of meals to promote children’s health and reduce childhood obesity; 2) increase access to child nutrition programs to reduce childhood hunger; and 3) protect U.S. taxpayers by strengthening program management and integrity. One landmark provision of the bill would lead to significantly reducing the availability of high-calorie junk foods in school vending machines, hallways and elsewhere on the school grounds by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop science-based nutrition standards for all foods that are sold on a school campus during the school day.

The legislation -- which was approved by the Senate on August 5 and now heads to President Obama for his signature -- is supported by a broad coalition of more than 1,300 anti-hunger, public health, faith, food industry, and other groups, including the Food Research and Action Center, Feeding America, American Public Health Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, National Education Association, National Association of State Boards of Education, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Food Marketing Institute, National Farmers Union, Voices for America’s Children, Catholic Charities, National Council of Churches, and Jewish Federations of North America.