Statement About a Summary Report on Progress in Nutrition and Health

WE HAVE MADE great strides in improving the incomes and nutrition of millions of Americans.

One year ago, I convened a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health. I promised the participants that we would review what had actually been accomplished a year later.

The Nutrition Subcommittee of the Domestic Council has prepared a summary report of major achievements during this time, and they make an impressive record indeed:

--New figures indicate that the food stamp program will assist over 10 million people by the middle of this year, nearly triple the number helped just 18 months earlier.

--All but 10 of the Nation's 3, 129 counties and independent cities have now moved to implement a family food program. A year ago there were 300 counties with no plans for such a program.

--Monthly expenditures on food stamps have quintupled in only 1 year to a current level of more than $ 125 million per month.

This Administration will soon provide free food stamps to the very poorest families under a proposal recently approved by the Congress.

We have committed greatly increased funds to child feeding programs--almost 50 percent more this year than last. The money to assist with free or reduced-price lunches for needy children has been increased eightfold since 1969. We are feeding hundreds of thousands of additional needy children each month.

The Food and Drug Administration is working to establish guidelines which will help Americans become better informed in food selection.

The Federal Trade Commission has created a division of food enforcement to assure that families are fully protected from deceptive or misleading claims or advertisements.

Those who administer our food and nutrition programs can be justly proud of the accomplishments described in this summary report.

But this is no time to sit back or to ease off in our efforts. The programs which are now operating must be made to operate even more effectively. More importantly, we must remember that the key to better nutrition in the long run is to provide sufficient income to purchase adequate diets and to meet the other basic day-to-day needs.

I will urge the Congress to enact welfare reform and higher social security benefits to meet this need. These essential reforms should be made promptly--for the good of the poor, the elderly, and the Nation as a whole.

I urge those who will participate in the follow-up Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health to study this summary report to assist them in evaluating the original recommendations and in gauging our progress in this vital area of national policy.