For the first time since its inception, the WIC food program has made some sweeping changes in the items it agrees to cover. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program was started in 1974 and provided assistance to low income women with children. It is a federally funded program that works similar to food stamps, but covers a smaller list of foods.
Traditionally the WIC program covered dairy products, eggs, and some beverages. Other foods were covered to a lesser degree. But in 2003 the Institute of Medicine was assigned to review the items covered by the USDA to insure that guidelines for health and nutrition were supporting the list.
The Agriculture Department announced this August that after review, the WIC program would now cover fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These changes are stemmed directly from the Institute of Medicine review and the ever-growing prevalence of obesity among the children and adults in the US.
Items such as milk and eggs will still be covered, but the servings per day will be lower to make room for more fruits and vegetables. Proponents of the changes say that milk and eggs are high in nutrients and coverage should not be cut but recent changes to the food pyramid as well as scientific evidence for the value of fruits and vegetables as healthy disease preventative food choices cannot be ignored.
The changes have not been entered into effect, and comments will be taken by the USDA through this fall.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on August 31, 2006 11:22 AM
