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1 Introduction and Background
Pages 19-45

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From page 19...
... . Created as a pilot program in 1972 and permanently established in 1974, the WIC program has provided nutritious food, valuable nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and important health and social service referrals to millions of families over the past 30 years.
From page 20...
... To meet the WIC program's goals of disease prevention and health promotion most effectively, the supplemental foods provided in the food packages must help address current nutritional concerns for participant groups while controlling costs. Thus, the food packages should be designed to improve participants' food and nutrient intake to promote improved health.
From page 21...
... Responding to the request from the Food and Nutrition Service, this report presents evidence of the need for change and analyses of the types and amounts of current and proposed foods in the WIC food packages. Based on these analyses, the report provides detailed recommendations for the supplemental foods to be offered for each category of WIC participants.
From page 22...
... This means that both the food and nutrition education provided by the WIC program should be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines (see section on Nutrient Recommendations and Dietary Guidance Have Changed and Chapter 2 -- Nutrient and Food Priorities -- for more information)
From page 23...
... As stated under The Committee's Task above, the Food and Nutrition Service asked the IOM committee to identify priority nutrients based on current scientific evidence. In accordance with current scientific evidence and dietary guidance, the committee identified both priority nutrients and priority food groups for the WIC food packages with regard to both inadequate intakes and excessive intakes.
From page 24...
... Carrots (fresh) i aIn addition to pregnant women, breastfeeding women whose infants receive formula from the WIC program may receive Food Package V
From page 25...
... INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 25 Pregnant or Partially Non-Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Postpartum Women Women Enhanced Women (up to 1 y (up to 6 mo Package (up to 1 y Children, 1­4.9 y postpartum) a postpartum)
From page 26...
... . 7The term Competent Professional Authorities is used to refer to professionals and paraprofessionals who tailor the food packages and educate and counsel WIC participants.
From page 27...
... WHY CONSIDER CHANGES IN THE WIC FOOD PACKAGES? Marked Demographic Changes Have Occurred in the WIC Population Over the past several decades, the total number of persons served by the WIC program has increased greatly (see Figure 1-1)
From page 28...
... In sharp contrast, during 2003, the WIC program served an average of 7.6 million women, infants, and children per month at a cost of $4.5 billion for the fiscal year (FNS, 2004f)
From page 29...
... In a study reported in 1988, 14.5 percent of pregnant women enrolled in the WIC program were employed (Rush et al., 1988a)
From page 30...
... , but no trend data of this type were available for children in the age range eligible for the WIC program.
From page 31...
... The Health Risks of the WIC-Eligible Population Have Changed Since the inception of the WIC program, fundamental changes have occurred in the major health and nutrition risks faced by the WIC-eligible population. The prevalences of underweight (Sherry et al., 2004)
From page 32...
... . While there is no firm evidence that the WIC participant population is any more prone to being overweight than non-WIC populations (CDC, 1996a, 1996b)
From page 33...
... have changed substantially since the WIC food packages were originally formulated. Although basic concepts of nutrition have not changed, there has been a substantial increase in knowledge of specific concepts such as bioavailability, nutrient-nutrient interactions, and the distribution of dietary intake of nutrients across subgroups of the population.
From page 34...
... The specific foods selected for the food packages are good sources of the nutrients listed above, as well as widely available, generally acceptable, and reasonable in cost. As deficiency diseases became less common, scientific research into the relationships between various dietary components and chronic diseases expanded.
From page 35...
... Many Stakeholders Are Calling for Change In September 2003, USDA solicited public comments "to determine if the WIC food packages should be revised to better improve the nutritional intake, health and development of participants; and, if so, what specific changes should be made to the food packages" (FNS, 2003a)
From page 36...
... . For older WIC participants, the current WIC food packages are intended to increase dietary quality by improving intakes of the target nutrients, as well as meeting some of the food energy needs.
From page 37...
... The package reduces the prevalence of inadequate and excessive nutrient intakes in participants. Designing supplemental food packages that optimize the potential benefit for long-term health poses mixed challenges.
From page 38...
... The package contributes to an overall dietary pattern that is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for individuals 2 years of age and older. As stated previously, by law, both the supplemental food and the nutrition education provided by the WIC program need to be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
From page 39...
... For example, eggs need to be cooked thoroughly to avoid foodborne illnesses. Foods are not suitable for WIC food packages if two conditions apply: (1)
From page 40...
... . From the public comments the committee received, it is apparent that some WIC participants feel the choice of foods in the current WIC food packages is very limited.
From page 41...
... The term culturally acceptable implies that the foods are easily accepted within the cultural norms of the participants. Studies have found that WIC participants from specific cultural groups have attitudes that value other foods above some of the foods provided in the current WIC food packages.
From page 42...
... . Ideally, the WIC food packages will promote positive dietary changes while supporting the beneficial components of traditional diets.
From page 43...
... The packages should be viewed as valuable enough to promote and maintain enrollment in the WIC program and thus enable the participants to receive the dietary, educational, and health referral benefits that the WIC program provides. The food packages also should reinforce the WIC educational messages and promote long-term dietary quality.
From page 44...
... In 2001, over 50 percent of WIC state agencies had management information systems that were not capable of efficiently performing essential program tasks, such as tailoring food packages, assessing applicants' income, or printing food vouchers (GAO, 2001)
From page 45...
... SUMMARY The WIC program provides an average of 7.6 million women, infants, and young children each year with supplemental food. Changes in the food packages are warranted because of changes in demographics of the WIC population, in the food supply, in dietary patterns, in health risks, and in dietary guidance and recommendations.


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