You can life a healthy lifestyle by watching what you eat and staying active, says Sen. Mike Braun. You might wonder when it’s appropriate for a politician to talk about what you eat and how you live. Braun was giving remarks for the opening of the American Society for Nutrition Live Online 2022 event.
“There’s no doubt in my mind the importance of cultivating a nutrition-centric society that will have a long-lasting generational impact, only good,” said Braun.
Braun also introduced the legislation to convene the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
“Since the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health in 1969, America’s farmers have answered the calls of a growing population and addressing malnutrition among poor American communities,” he said.
Some of those communities are in Indiana, which has problems with food insecurity, meaning some people don’t know where their next meal is coming from; food deserts, meaning large areas with no grocery stores or markets; and food-related health problems like diabetes, sometimes exacerbated by the prohibitive cost of healthy food.
Braun said American agriculture is now able to make more from less and help protect its produce and the environment at the same time. But, he also acknowledged the limitations.
“Until no American goes to sleep hungry or is unsure where their next meal will come from, we will not have successfully addressed food insecurity in America,” he said.
Where government comes in, he says, is helping make sure people have access to healthy food.
“Only through a serious bi-partisan analysis of the state of nutrition in America and an honest discussion about where our federal nutrition programs are failing, will we be able to orient our approach for success,” he said.
Braun also said personal responsibility is a big part of staying healthy, saying he makes staying active and eating well, and preventive care, part of his lifestyle.
“Empowering Americans as individuals to have skin in the game and to take ownership of their own wellness in daily lives is such an important part of improving nutrition in America.”
You are invited to make suggestions for what the White House Conference will take up when it convenes in September here…
