UMass Extension Public Issues

A Five-year Plan (2009-2013) for Addressing:

Nutrition and Health

Summary/Description

Healthful lifestyle behaviors such as eating nutritious food, handling food safely, being physically active, and having regular health screenings can lead to a longer and more productive life. These behaviors can also prevent the harmful effects of many chronic diseases. Forming healthful behaviors during childhood is especially important to future health.

Rates of overweight and obesity continue to increase for both adults and children in the United States. Although the causes are complex and not fully understood, effective strategies that help people increase physical activity and choose healthful foods, both at home and away from home, can help. Overweight, obesity and lack of physical activity also increase risks of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and some types of cancers. Although these diseases are major contributors to health care costs, and leading causes of disability and death in the United States, they are also among the most preventable through lifestyle changes.

Foodborne illness continues to plague Americans, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year in lost productivity, hospitalization, long term disability and death. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths each year. Federal agencies have instituted food safety education and regulatory programs from farm to table. The US Department of Agriculture, the US Food and Drug Administration and industry have provided guidelines and a variety of resources for food producers and processors using the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system targeted at meat and poultry producers and processors and retail food establishments. Retailers and food handlers in food service settings are often required to undergo manager certification. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2004 now requires all schools to implement HACCP plans. Despite these efforts, the incidence of foodborne illness remains a problem. Therefore education is needed to improve food safety knowledge and practices of people involved in all sectors of the food system.

Situation & Priorities

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Nutrition Board (MNB), a coalition of Massachusetts leaders in the field of nutrition and health, nutrition and health issues in Massachusetts, especially compared to Healthy People 2010 Objectives, include the following:

1. Prevent Overweight and Obesity, and Reduce the Prevalence among Adults through Nutrition and Physical Activity Education and Public Policy
2. Improve Food Consumption Patterns and Promote Physical Activity to Reduce Risk of Obesity and Chronic Disease
3. Lower Risks of Chronic Disease by Teaching Massachusetts Residents about Healthy Eating Physical Activity, and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors
4. Help Massachusetts Youth to Learn Decision-Making Skills as they Apply to Health
5. Reduce Health Disparities among Massachusetts Residents
6. Improve Women’s Health
7. Improve Food Safety in Massachusetts

The following Projects will address Nutrition and Health. Click on each project to see additional details.

• Tween POWER: Preventing Obesity through Wise Expenditures of Resources
• Food Safety
• Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program – EFNEP
• Family Nutrition Program