[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S1523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lieberman, and Mrs. 
        Cantwell):
  S. 2108. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
ensure that consumers receive information about the nutritional content 
of restaurant food and vending machine food; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a bill, the Menu 
Education and Labeling Act, on behalf of myself and my colleagues, 
Senators Kennedy, Lieberman and Cantwell.
  More than 65 percent of American adults are overweight, and more than 
30 percent are clinically obese. We lead the world in this dubious 
distinction, which is growing worse. In the past 20 years, obesity 
rates have doubled among American adults and children, while they have 
tripled among teens. If we do not change course, kids attending school 
today will be the first generation in American history to live a 
shorter lifespan than their parents.
  The issue is far from merely cosmetic. It is medical and economic. 
The obesity epidemic has huge consequences. Overweight people have an 
increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and other 
illnesses. Sixty percent of overweight youth already have at least one 
risk factor for heart disease which is the No. 1 killer of adults in 
the U.S. Obesity also causes or contributes to $117 billion a year in 
health care and related costs, more than half borne by taxpayers.
  There is no single solution to the complex problem of obesity, but we 
must start taking meaningful steps to address this growing problem by 
giving people the tools necessary to live healthier lifestyles. That is 
why my colleagues and I are introducing this bill today to extend 
nutrition labeling beyond packaged foods to include foods at chain 
restaurants with 20 or more locations, as well as food in vending 
machines. This common-sense idea will give consumers a needed tool to 
make wiser choices and achieve a healthier lifestyle. It is a positive 
step toward addressing the obesity epidemic.
  In 1990, Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, 
NLEA, requiring food manufacturers to provide nutrition information on 
nearly all packaged foods. The impact has been tremendous. Not only do 
nearly three-quarters of adults use the food labels on packaged foods, 
but studies indicate that consumers who read labels have healthier 
diets.
  Restaurants, which are more and more important to Americans' diet and 
health, were excluded from the NLEA. American adults and children 
consume a third of their calories at restaurants at the very time when 
nutrition and health experts say that rising caloric consumption and 
growing portion sizes are causes of obesity. We also know that when 
children eat in restaurants, they consume twice as many calories as 
when they eat at home. Consumers say that they would like nutrition 
information provided when they order their food at restaurants, yet, 
while they have good nutrition information in supermarkets, at 
restaurants they can only guess.
  Vending machine food sales also plays a large role in contributing to 
the diets of Americans. Over the last three decades vending machine 
sales have shot up eighty-five percent after inflation. Most vending 
machine sales include foods of low nutritional value. The Menu 
Education and Labeling Act will require fast-food and other chain 
restaurants, as well as vending machines, to list basic nutritional 
information clearly--so consumers can make better choices about the 
foods that they eat.
  Let there be no doubt: obesity is indeed an epidemic, and it is 
continuing to grow. This is a public health crisis and we must address 
it. Although this bill alone will not halt rising obesity in its 
tracks, it provides consumers with an important tool with which to make 
better choices about the food that they and their children consume.
  In the coming weeks I will be offering additional initiatives to give 
Americans the tools they need to stay healthy and address risk factors 
like obesity and mental health that are associated with the rising 
medical and financial costs of chronic illnesses. The common thread 
will be an emphasis on preventing unnecessary disease and illness.
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