Food Stamp Nutrition Education: Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyles

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Food Stamp Nutrition EducationPromoting Healthy
Eating and Active Lifestyles

• Alberta Frost
• Karen Walker
• Food and Nutrition Service
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

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FNS Programs Reaching People Across Generations
Touching the lives of 1 in 5 Americans each year
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FNS Strategic Plan
Objective 1.3 Improved nutritional quality of
meals, food packages, commodities, and other
benefits
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FNS Strategic Goal 1Improved nutrition of
children and low income people

• Objectives
• Improved food security
• FNS program participants make healthy food
  choices
• Improved nutritional quality of meals, food
  packages, commodities, and other program
  benefits.

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Federal Expenditures Nutrition Education FY2004
Food Stamp Nutrition Education 185.8M
Food Safety Education 2.5M
WIC Breastfeeding Promotion 70.0M
Child Nutrition Team Nutrition 9.8M
WIC 260.9M
Represents 50 of State costs, reimbursed by
USDA
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FNS Nutrition EducationObligations Per
Participant- FY 2004
Represents 50 of State costs, reimbursed by
USDA Does not include breastfeeding promotion
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Food Stamp Program Participants
Over 24 million participants per month nationwide
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Food Stamp Program VisionShifting the Paradigm

• Change perceptions from food assistance to
  nutrition assistance
• Move from coupons to Electronic Benefit Transfer
  (EBT)
• Increase program access
• Connect nutrition education
• Potential change in Name

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Food StampNutrition Education
Helping participants to make healthier choices
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Food StampNutrition Education
52 State Agencies have Nutrition Education Plans
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Types ofImplementing Agencies

• 45 are CES
• 18 are networks
• 37 are other organizations

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Approved Federal Funding for FSP Nutrition
Education,FY1992 to FY 2004
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Food Stamp Nutrition Education The Flexibility
Paradox

• States have considerable flexibility
• Goals and objectives
• Target groups
• Interventions educational strategies
• Service delivery settings

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Challenges of FSNE Flexibility

• Messages are fragmented and diluted
• Different interpretations about appropriate
  activities and expenditures that qualify for
  federal reimbursement
• Nutrition education frequently not recognized as
  part of the FSP
• No clear picture of what services are offered to
  whom
• Not much is known about achievement of program
  nutrition goals

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2003 Review of FSP byOffice of Management and
Budget

• Assessment The program is better designed to
  reduce hunger and malnutrition related to
  inadequate income, than to achieve further
  incremental improvements in the dietary status of
  low income people.
• Key Recommendation USDA will develop a plan
  for the use of Federal and state program funds to
  improve nutrition among program participants ,
  including clear goals, quantifiable outcomes,
  and specificactions to be undertaken

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Re-Engineering Food Stamp Nutrition Education

• Major Components
• Policy Framework
• Study of FSP Nutrition Education Activities
• Reporting System (EARS)
• Nutrition Education Evaluation Process
• Materials Development

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The Need for ChangeRising Obesity Rates

• 65 of adults aged 20-74 are overweight or obese
• Percentage of children who are overweight has
  doubled from 7 to 15 in past 20 years
• Percentage of adolescents who are overweight has
  almost tripled from 5 to 16
• About 60.5 of people who earn 15,000 to 75,000
  are overweight or obese, compared with 56 of
  people who earn more than 75,000

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The Need for ChangeGrowing Health Problems

• Overweight, obesity and physical inactivity are
  major risk factors for chronic diseases such as
  diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer
• 400,000 deaths a year related to poor diet and
  physical inactivity the second leading cause of
  preventable death (after smoking)
• Diabetes has increased by 49 in past 10 years,
  reflecting strong correlation with obesity 1 in
  3 persons born in 2000 will develop diabetes if
  no change in current health habits

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The Need for ChangeMajor Social Costs

• 123 billion per year in 2001 for overweight and
  obesity, direct costs 64.1 billion, indirect
  costs 58.8 billion.
• In 2003, the public paid about 39 billion -- or
  about 175 per taxpayer -- through Medicare and
  Medicaid programs for obesity-linked illnesses.
• If trends continue through 2020, up to one-fifth
  of health care expenditures would be devoted to
  treating the consequences of obesity

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The Need for ChangePoor Dietary Behaviors
-- Overconsumption of fats and sweets --
Underconsumption of fruits, vegetables
and grains
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The Need for ChangeInadequate Physical Activity

• Over 50 of U.S. adults do not get adequate
  moderate physical activity (brisk walking,
  bicycling, vacuuming, gardening)
• Over 60 of children aged 9-13 years do not
  participate in any organized physical activity
  during non-school hours over 20 do not engage
  in any free-time physical activity.

Sources Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report, CDC
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Re-Engineering Food Stamp Nutrition Education

• Major Components
• Policy Framework
• Study of FSP Nutrition Education Activities
• Reporting System (EARS)
• Nutrition Education Evaluation Process
• Materials Development

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FSNE Policy FrameworkWhat we want it to
accomplish

• Increased focus on food stamp recipients, esp.
  women and children
• More focus on a few key messages
• Connect with Food Stamp Program
• Added referrals to nutrition health services
• More collaboration with other FNS programs
• More involvement from FSP administrators

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FSNE Policy Framework Clearing the Air

• The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Framework is
  not
• An effort to reduce funding for nutrition
  education
• A strategy to reduce access to food stamps
• A rejection or prohibition of social marketing
• An attempt to limit nutrition education to
  counseling or classes in the food stamp office.

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FSNE Policy Framework Clearing the Air

• USDA is interested in messages, strategies,
  audiences, venues, or other aspects of FSNE that
  will strengthen the program.
• We are seeking an approach that
• reflects the interests of our partners
• is consistent with existing legal authorities,
  and
• meaningfully serves the 24 million persons who
  participate in the FSP.

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FSNE Policy Framework Process to Policy, Policy
to Implementation

• Collaborative approach internal and external
  consultation.
• Framework posted for public comment at
  www.fns.usda.gov/oane/menu/FSNE/FSNE.htm
• Comment period ended in July FNS received more
  than 1,000 comments for and against
• Key partners involved in compilationand analysis
  of comments

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FSNE Policy Framework Process to Policy, Policy
to Implementation

• No decisions have been reached about the final
  Framework.
• FNS remains open to State and local issues and
  concerns, and will take the time necessary to
  continue discussions with partners.
• Once complete, FNS will provide a full briefing
  on results and recommendations.
• Implementation will occur throughrevised FSNE
  guidance andtimeframes.

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