Symposium: Accomplishments in Child Nutrition during the 20th Century Development of the Child Nutrition Programs in the United States

There are many reasons why child nutrition programs were created in America. The most obvious reason is that the nutrition and health status of our children is a high national priority. Another obvious reason was that our agricultural abundance, particularly in the early part of the 20th century, could be better utilized by feeding children in schools. War was a less obvious reason. Yet when young recruits were rejected from service in World War II in increasing numbers for nutrition-related problems, Congress created the National School Lunch Program (National School Lunch Program 1946) in part “as a measure of national security,” i.e., healthy children equal healthy soldiers. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many religious organizations provided meals to school children. For some groups, such efforts were regarded as charity. Others felt that the State should provide such meals as a matter of right. Aspects of these distinct philosophical views remain firmly in place today. The development of child nutrition programs post-World War II was assisted by the dynamic interaction of many very diverse groups. These include local, state and national antihunger groups, university-based researchers, health and nutrition officials, Congress and the executive branch of government. Religious groups also played a major role. The mid1990s debate over welfare reform bears a remarkable semblance to the debates in Parliament establishing the 1906 Provision of Meals Act in England and the Congressional debates over the creation of the 1946 National School Lunch Act. Would a nutrition program for children enhance learning or would such programs enhance dependence of the poor upon federal government? Another major factor in the development and creation of child nutrition programs was the Civil Rights movement and media coverage of hunger in America in the 1960s. Discovery of widespread hunger in the South by a team of physicians focused attention on the plight of poor, hungry Americans. These events culminated in the 1969 Nixon White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health (White House Proceedings 1970). This was a watershed event not only because it brought together the best thinking on issues related to public health nutrition but more importantly because it led to a very action-oriented agenda that helped shape the U.S. nutrition safety net. In May 2000, the successor to the 1969 conference was held in Washington, DC. The National Nutrition Summit attracted nearly 2000 nutrition and health professionals to the nation’s capital to discuss, debate and develop a national nutrition safety net plan for the next quarter century (USDA/ DHHS 2000). Hunger issues were a significant part of the agenda. There was also significant attention paid to identifying interventions for Americans. In addition, the role of physical activity in improving nutritional status and the epidemic of childhood obesity were key topics of discussion. One clear recommendation was that targeted research is required to identify the range of benefits resulting from improved diets and physical activity and how to translate this information into programs and policies. With this background, this paper discusses the development of key child nutrition programs and the available scientific research highlighting the effects of programs on diet, health and nutritional status.