Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Agricultural Policy And Childhood Obesity: A Food Systems And Public Health Commentary

2010; Project HOPE; Volume: 29; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0102

2694-233X

David Wallinga,

Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

For thirty-five years, U.S. agriculture has operated under a "cheap food" policy that spurred production of a few commodity crops, not fruit or vegetables, and thus of the calories from them. A key driver of childhood obesity is the consumption of excess calories, many from inexpensive, nutrient-poor snacks, sweets, and sweetened beverages made with fats and sugars derived from these policy-supported crops. Limiting or eliminating farm subsidies to commodity farmers is wrongly perceived as a quick fix to a complex agricultural system, evolved over decades, that promotes obesity. Yet this paper does set forth a series of policy recommendations that could help, including managing commodity crop oversupply and supporting farmers who produce more fruit and vegetables to build a healthier, more balanced agricultural policy.