    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 26, 2000]
    [Pages 1041-1042]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Videotaped Remarks to the National Nutrition Summit
    May 26, 2000

        I'm delighted to welcome you to the 2000 National Nutrition Summit
    and to thank you for promoting the need for good nutrition, physical
    activity, and a healthy lifestyle in preventing diet-related diseases. I
    also want to thank Secretary Shalala and
    Secretary Glickman for their

    [[Page 1042]]

    work on this summit. And I want to recognize Ambassador
    McGovern and Senator Dole, two of the leaders who played a pioneering role in the
    first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health, back in
    1969.
        At that time, malnutrition, hunger, and obesity were too often an
    accepted part of our society, and we didn't have the right resources in
    place to address them. Our foods weren't labeled with nutritional
    information. Our national school lunch program wasn't administered
    properly, and we didn't even have the means to measure the levels of
    hunger and malnutrition in our own country. The 1969 White House
    Conference changed all that by encouraging the Federal Government to
    expand and strengthen its programs to reduce hunger and promote good
    nutrition.
        As President Nixon said then, the moment is at hand to put an end to
    hunger. Today, more than 30 years later, we have made great strides in
    understanding and promoting the link between nutrition and personal
    health. Our national investment in nutrition assistance has increased
    more than thirtyfold since the first conference. In 1999 alone, we
    delivered more than $33 billion in nutrition assistance to our children
    and our hardest pressed families.
        Thanks in large part to your efforts, these programs play a key role
    in promoting the health of our entire Nation. The Women, Infants, and
    Children's program has given millions of young families, more than 7
    million Americans, both the wise advise and the nutritious foods they
    need to grow healthy and strong. Children enrolled in WIC programs are
    immunized earlier, perform better in school, and spend less time in the
    doctor's office.
        Our national school lunch program now provides nutritious lunches to
    more than 26 million children in 95,000 schools across our land. Our
    food stamp program brings nourishment to millions of Americans every
    day, and our improved and expanded Head Start program reaches even
    younger children and more families than ever.
        But while we've come a long way in promoting good nutrition and
    health, too many Americans still are malnourished, without food, or
    living unhealthy lifestyles. Nearly 55 percent of our population is
    overweight or obese, including one in five children. And today, four of
    the leading causes of death in the United States are nutrition-related.
    That's why we must continue to help more Americans live healthier lives.
        For 7 years now, our administration has tried to do that with
    substantial increases in funding for WIC, Head Start, and child
    nutrition programs. This year our budget builds on that progress.
        I want to thank all of you for leading the way to a healthier
    America. If we keep working together, we can ensure that in the 21st
    century, our people and our Nation are in the best shape ever.

    Note: The President's remarks were videotaped at approximately 5:30 p.m.
    on May 11 in the Map Room for later broadcast. The transcript was
    released by the Office of the Press Secretary on May 26. In his remarks,
    he referred to Ambassador George S. McGovern, U.S. Representative, U.N.
    Agencies for Food and Agriculture; and former Senator Bob Dole. A tape
    was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.