Chairman Miller Statement on New Nutrition Packages for Low-Income Women and Children

Thursday, December 6, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, made the following statement on new updates to food packages in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“These changes to the WIC food packages will lead us in the right direction towards providing healthier meals for high-risk pregnant women, mothers and young children. The program will now include vegetables, fruits and whole grains in its packages and provide nutrition education – welcome improvements for low-income mothers, babies and children who need better nourishment.

“More and more, studies show that high cholesterol and diabetes among children are becoming a nationwide epidemic. In fact, a new study released today shows that childhood obesity greatly increases the chances of adult heart disease – a reminder of why it’s so important to develop good eating habits early on. I am extremely pleased that the Department has taken these vital steps to help millions of mothers and children lead healthier lives.”

These are the first changes to be made to the food packages in almost 30 years, and include the addition of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to the programs, as well as updates to make nutrition requirements more consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-226-0853