WhiteOnlyLogoTagWeb
 
ASN Health and Nutrition Policy Newsletter
Week of
 August  19, 2019        
American Society for Nutrition Newsletter
August 2019
In This Issue
ASN News
Congressional Action
Administrative Action
National Initiatives
Meetings
Funding Opportunites
International
ASN News
ASN Sponsors 50th Anniversary of the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health
ASN has joined with Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Nutrition as a sponsor of a 50th Anniversary of the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health event. Held October 3-4, 2019 in Boston, Mass. Complementing the Boston event, a Washington, DC Capitol Hill event will be held on October 30th from 2:00-4:00pm, sponsored by Congressman Jim McGovern (D, MA) in collaboration with Hunger Free America. Register here for these events .
 
ASN Partners for Malnutrition Awareness Week
ASN has partnered with ASPEN, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, once again as an Ambassador for Malnutrition Awareness Week, September 23-27, 2019. As an Ambassador, ASN members can register for   Malnutrition Awareness Week webinars  at no cost! Please use the discount code MAW-Nutrition to participate in the webinars for free. Continuing education credit is available for each webinar. ASPEN is accredited to provide medical, pharmacy, nursing and dietetic credits.
 
ASN Partners for National Obesity Care Week
ASN is once again a partner for the 5th Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW) which takes place September 15th to 21st. NOCW is a national awareness campaign to access to comprehensive obesity care for anyone affected by obesity. Now, more than ever, people affected by obesity or those who care, as well as healthcare professionals and policy makers must pledge their support for access to care without barriers. Visit ObesityCareWeek.org/Action to pledge your support!



Congressional Action
Congress is on August Recess
Senators and Representatives are working in their home districts until Congress returns on September 9, 2019. This is a good time to meet with your Congressional leaders in their home offices and discuss the benefits of nutrition research and the impact of good nutrition on health, growth and development.
 
New Nutrition-related Bills Introduced
Over the past four weeks, Senators and Representatives have introduced a wide variety of nutrition-related bills in several categories as reported below:
 
Health Care
H.R.3711 , Nutrition Counseling Aiding Recovery for Eating Disorders Act of 2019, introduced by Representative Judy Chu (D, CA), would amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and provide coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for individuals with eating disorders under the Medicare program.
 
Health Research
HR 3396 , Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2019, introduced by Representative James Sensenbrenner (R, WI), would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate its activities with respect to functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders (FGIMDs), by expanding basic and clinical research into FGIMDs by implementing the research recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases; by providing support for the establishment of centers of excellence on FGIMDs; by supporting innovative approaches to educating health care providers and patients regarding strategies that improve patient-provider relationships and care; by directing the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to provide the necessary funding for the continued expansion and advancement of the FGIMDs research portfolio, and by directing NIDDK and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to expand research into FGIMDs that impact children.
 
50th Anniversary of the Food and Nutrition Service
S.Con.Res.24 , a concurrent resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was introduced by Senator Pat Roberts (R, KS).
 
Food-insecurity on College Campuses
H.R.4065 , the Food for Thought Act of 2019, introduced by Representative Adam Schiff (D, CA), would authorize FNS to make grants available for community college campuses and to establish a free meal program for eligible students, prepare and purchase meals from manufacturers and provide information to eligible students on federal food assistance programs through campus outreach.
 
H.R.3743 ,the STOP Campus Hunger Act, introduced by Representative Marcia Fudge (D, OH), would require the College Navigator Website to post information about eligibility guidance for federal nutrition assistance programs and about the office locations for enrollment.
S 2225 , Basic Assistance for Students in College Act, introduced by Senator Kamila Harris (D, CA), would provide support for the basic needs of students enrolled at an eligible institution, including food, housing, transportation, childcare, health care, and technology.
 
Child Nutrition Reauthorization
S.2358 , Wise Investment in our Children Act (WIC Act), introduced by Senators Bob Casey (D, PA) and Susan Collins (R, ME), would permit state agencies administering WIC to: extend child eligibility to age six or beginning of kindergarten; extend infant certification period to two years; and extend postpartum women's eligibility to two years.
 
S.1949 and H.R.3444 , the School Food Modernization Act of 2019, introduced by Senator Susan Collins and Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA) respectively, amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make loan guarantees and grants to finance certain improvements to school lunch facilities, to train school food service personnel, and for other purposes.
 
H.R.3818 , the Infants Need Food and Nutrition Today Act, introduced by Representative Don Young (R, AK), would require the USDA Secretary to allow infant food combinations and dinners to be eligible to be served under the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children
 
S.2331 , Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2019, introduced by Senator Patty Murray, (D, WA), would clarify the availability and appropriateness of training for local food service personnel.
 
Reduce Food Waste
H.R. 3981 , the Food Date Labeling Act, introduced by Representatives Chellie Pingree (D, ME) and Dan Newhouse (R, WA),would establish a uniform national date labeling system on food products and eliminate consumer confusion around food date labeling.
 
SNAP Eligibility
S.2359 , introduced by Senator John Kennedy (R, LA), would require consideration of the assets of a household for broad-based categorical eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP).
 

Administrative Action
Leaders of NIH's Research Program Recap Progress and Next Steps
In a forthcoming paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, the All of Us Research Program at the NIH will report strong progress in its efforts to advance precision medicine. As of July 2019, the program has enrolled more than 230,000 people, including 175,000 participants who have completed the core protocol. The program aims to include data from 1 million or more people from diverse communities. Participants contribute information in a variety of ways, including surveys; electronic health records (EHR); physical measurements; blood, urine, and saliva samples; and Fitbit device records. Future plans include new surveys and linkages to other data sets and digital health technologies. Eventually, the program will include genotyping and whole-genome sequencing of participants' biological samples.
 
Turmoil over ERS and NIFA Move Continues
The USDA Office of the Inspector General released a report concluding that the USDA may have broken the law in relocating key research agencies (the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)) without obtaining congressional approval.
 
Meanwhile, USDA leaders and the American Federation of Government Employees union representing the ERS announced   an agreement that will offer some flexibility to workers affected by the agency's relocation to Kansas City. There remains a steady back and forth between the two negotiating parties before the final elements of the proposed move are completed.
 
FDA Considers New Uses for Vitamin D
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering a petition submitted by Kellogg Company that proposes that the food additive regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of vitamin D3 as a nutrient supplement in breakfast cereals and in grain-based nutrition bars (e.g., granola bars).  

FDA Issues Fact Sheet on Menu Labeling Implementation
The FDA issued a fact sheet to inform stakeholders about the agency's continued efforts to implement menu labeling in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments. FDA will continue to support industry to implement the menu labeling requirements, assess implementation progress to further inform education and outreach as well as engage with state, local, tribal and territorial regulatory partners to ensure consistent implementation of the menu labeling requirements .
 
FDA Guidance on Units of Measure for Certain Nutrients
The FDA released guidance for industry providing step-by-step instructions on how to convert the previous units of measure for folate, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E to the new units required on the updated Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels. The guidance includes conversion factors to be used for each of these nutrients and sample calculations for converting to the new units of measure.
 
New Publications by NCHS
The National Center for Health Statistics published new data briefs:
Contribution of whole grains to Total Grains Intake for Adult s Aged 20 and Over . During 2013 - 2016, whole grains contributed 15.8% of total grains intake on a given day among adults (compared to the recommendation that at least 50% grains intake be whole grains). A small but significant increase in the contribution of whole grains to total grains intake was noted during 2005 to 2016.
 
Attempts to Lose Weight among Adolescents 16 - 19 Years , analyzes attempts to lose weight among adolescents during 2013 - 2016. A higher percentage of Hispanic adolescents (50.8%) tried to lose weight than non-Hispanic white (33.1%), non-Hispanic black (31.8%), and non-Hispanic Asian (28.4%) adolescents among both girls and boys, with exercise as the most commonly reported way to try to lose weight.
 
USDA ERS New Research Publications
The ERS Food Expenditure Series is a comprehensive data set that measures the U.S. food system, quantifying the value of food acquired in the United States by type of product, outlet, and purchaser. The data series measures the value of food acquired, including food and beverage sales (as well as taxes and tips), and the value of food produced at home, donated, and furnished to employees and institutionalized persons.
 
Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System
The Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System (FADS) includes three distinct but related data series on food and nutrient availability for consumption: food availability data, loss-adjusted food availability data, and nutrient availability data. The data serve as proxies for actual consumption at the national level. Food availability data provide estimates through 2017 and serve as the foundation for the other two series.
 
ERS authors use a combination of store- and household-level purchase data to revisit key questions and help policymakers consider the latest recommendations to adjust WIC food packages. The ERS study focuses on bread as a case study of the whole-grain products that WIC participants may buy with their benefits.
 
The share of food-insecure people in the 76 low- and middle-income countries included in this report is projected to fall from 19.3 percent in 2019 to 9.0 percent in 2029. The number of food-insecure people is projected to fall 45 percent.
 
A new ERS data product provides distribution schedules for each state and the District of Columbia for 1998-2018.
 
ERS researchers found that SNAP households spent less time on food shopping and meal preparation and more time in income-generating work following the sunset of the higher 2009 ARRA-mandated SNAP benefits that ended in November 2013.  
 
GAO Report on Improving Nutrition Education
The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report , Nutrition Education: USDA Actions Needed to Assess Effectiveness, Coordinate Programs, and Leverage Expertise that includes the following recommendations to USDA: 
1) Improve how USDA gathers information on SNAP-Ed effectiveness;
2) Develop a formal mechanism for coordinating nutrition education across the department; and
3) Take steps to fully leverage the department's nutrition expertise for nutrition education efforts. 
 
USDA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Food Nutrition Service
On August 8, the USDA FNS celebrated 50 years of service dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through our nation's vital nutrition programs. USDA leaders reflected on "how these valuable programs, and the laws that authorize and shape them, have grown and evolved to meet changing food and nutrition needs, always with an eye to good stewardship." For more details on the robust history, watch the webcast online .
 
Submit Input on Relationships and Health Behaviors
The NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Studies' Behavioral Research Program invites feedback from the population science research community on potential domains of interest regarding cancer-relevant health behaviors among dyads. Feedback will help identify cancer-related research gaps in dyadic processes, research advances, emerging issues, and public use data needs. Human relationships provide an interpersonal context from which to examine health behaviors relevant to cancer prevention and control, such as tobacco use, diet and physical activity, sleep patterns, sun and environmental exposures, screening and medical adherence, and caregiving and survivorship care. This anonymous input will help identify cancer-related research gaps in dyadic processes, research advances, emerging issues, and public use data needs. Submit your ideas by September 1, 2019.
 
Final Rule on Public Charge May Affect Nutrition
T he Trump administration posted the final public-charge rule in the Federal Register on August 14, 2019, which will go into effect in mid-October. Under the final rule, an individual's use of SNAP, Medicaid, or housing subsidies would weigh against their petition for legal status. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received more than 266,000 comments - expressing primarily disagreement in the question over how to encourage and ensure "self-sufficiency" for US residents. Many of the comments opposed the rule for food and nutrition-benefit related effects, for health-benefit related effects, and for effects on vulnerable populations, such as infants. DHS responds to justify the rule on grounds that it removes incentives for non-citizens to reside in the US and it promotes self-sufficiency. But the research presented to DHS noted large negative impact on individuals dropping from federal nutrition and health programs, even though the rule excludes them from the rule. Although the rule does not apply to WIC, school meals, and other child and older adult nutrition programs, immigrant families using these programs are uncertain and have avoided enrolling in these programs.



National Initiatives
New Publications from the National Academies
The authors of this National Academy of Medicine Perspectives Commentary describe how close, intentional collaboration between faith communities and medical professionals can foster better care for the entire patient, as well as promote improved population health.
 
This new publication examines how a better understanding of heterogeneous treatment effects can lead to safer, more efficacious, personalized care for patients that permit inferences about which particular patients are likely to benefit and which are not.
 
Criteria for Selecting the Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2030
 
In the first report of the Ad Hoc Committee to develop Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) for Healthy People 2030, the committee discusses the background materials relevant to the charge and makes recommendations regarding the criteria for selecting LHIs
 
RWJF Releases National Obesity Monitor
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's State of Obesity team has released the National Obesity Monitor , an interactive that users can explore more than 40 years of obesity rate data, including trends over time by age group, sex, race, and ethnicity. The monitor uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is conducted every two years by the National Center for Health Statistics and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See here for a link to TFAH's 2018 State of Obesity Report .
 
CDC New Resources: August is National Breastfeeding Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes data from the National Immunization Survey (NIS) to measure whether we are meeting the nation's breastfeeding targets, as outlined in Health People 2020 (HP2020). The agency has also selected Support Changes Everything, as the new theme for Breast Feeding Month ; the theme highlights the many ways that healthcare providers, employers, communities, and organizations can support women who choose to breastfeed with a different breastfeeding topic each week.
 
FRAC Continues Efforts to Protect Immigrant Families
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) serves as the nutrition lead on the steering committee for Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign , and leads a nationwide effort to protect access to health care, nutrition, housing, and economic security programs for millions of immigrant families. For additional information, listen to this recorded webinar .
 
APHA Announces Public Health Fellowship
The American Public Health Association (APHA) has announced a call for applications for the 2020 APHA Public Health Fellowship in Government. Candidates must have strong public health credentials and be able to spend one year in Washington, D.C. The fellow will have the option of working in the House or Senate on legislative and policy issues such as creating healthy communities, improving health equity, addressing environmental health concerns, population health or the social determinants of health. The deadline to apply is 6:00 p.m. (ET) on September 4, 2019.


Meetings
Plant Powerhouses for Happier, Healthier Lives
Produce for Better Health Foundation (Webinar)
August 21, 2019 , 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here .
 
Advancing Effective Obesity Communications
Roundtable on Obesity Solutions
September 16, 2019, 8:30am-4:00pm EDT
NASEM, 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Lecture Room
Washington, DC
Register here .
 
The Future of Food
International Food Information Council and Eating Well magazine
September 18, 2019
Meredith, 225 Liberty Street, New York City
Register here .
 
Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
October 26-29, 2019
Philadelphia, PA
Register here .
 
APHA Annual Meeting
American Public Health Association
November 2-6, 2019
Philadelphia, PA
Register here .


Funding Opportunities
HHS 
Department of Health and Human Services 
National Institutes of Health
NIH National Cancer Institute
Health Resources and Services Administration
Precision Nutrition in IBD RFP
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation has identified the need to understand how diet affects IBD, particularly at the individual patient level, as a critical gap in the understanding and management of IBD, and as an area of opportunity to make a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. The long-term goal of the Precision Nutrition initiative is to be able to answer the IBD patient's key question, "What should I eat?,"  based on the patient's personal response to different foods, so that diets can be tailored to the individual clinical, biological and lifestyle characteristics of the patient. Letters of Intent are due September 3, 2019. There are two options available for terms of funding. More information is available online .



International
UN Publishes Report on Climate Change Impact on Global Food Supply
The United Nations published a major report warning against climate change, specifically highlighting the interplay between climate change, land use, and food security. In the report, the UN cautions that agriculture practices associated with the global food system account for between 21-37% of net emissions, including carbon dioxide. The report suggests numerous short- and long-term solutions that address land degradation and food insecurity, including reduced meat and dairy consumption and reduced deforestation.