Updates Improve Access to Fruits, Veggies, and Reduced-Fat Milk Without Costing Government or Families More
A study published yesterday by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that changes made in 2009 to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (often called the WIC program) prompted North Philadelphia corner stores, convenience stores, and bodegas that accept WIC vouchers to start offering healthier foods. The changes involved updating the selection of foods available to beneficiaries, commonly referred to as the WIC package. Prior to implementing the new regulations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture commissioned the Institute of Medicine to recommend ways to make the program healthier without making it more expensive for the government or families.
The study is one of the first to look at access to healthier foods as a result of the 2009 WIC program revisions, which represent the first changes to the WIC food package in 35 years. Although the study focused on stores in a small area of North Philadelphia, the revisions apply to food stores across the United States and could impact the availability of healthier foods for millions of women and children who participate in the program.
A study published yesterday by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that changes made in 2009 to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (often called the WIC program) prompted North Philadelphia corner stores, convenience stores, and bodegas that accept WIC vouchers to start offering healthier foods. The changes involved updating the selection of foods available to beneficiaries, commonly referred to as the WIC package. Prior to implementing the new regulations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture commissioned the Institute of Medicine to recommend ways to make the program healthier without making it more expensive for the government or families.
The study is one of the first to look at access to healthier foods as a result of the 2009 WIC program revisions, which represent the first changes to the WIC food package in 35 years. Although the study focused on stores in a small area of North Philadelphia, the revisions apply to food stores across the United States and could impact the availability of healthier foods for millions of women and children who participate in the program.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the study through its Healthy Eating Research program, which supports research on environmental and policy strategies with strong potential to promote healthy eating among children to prevent obesity, especially among lower-income and racial and ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity.
Post content from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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