been shown that nutrition programs hold the greatest attraction for those living in a high density area of older persons which is near the activity site. The willingness of citizens to participate in such projects can vary in direct proportion to the travel time which such participation will require. It might also be of interest to note here that research indicates that the maximum number of blocks which an older person will walk in order to purchase groceries is somewhere in the neighborhood of three. Thus, an 'on-foot' older shopper is virtually a captive consumer of his local store and must accept whatever pricing policy, selection, and quality of goods are offered. Perhaps the Nutrition Program in this bill could be expanded somewhat in order to provide an additional service responsive to this problem. We feel that the emphasis which S. 1163 has placed upon the social aspect of the Nutrition Program, including the provision for additional activities is entirely appropriate. The social functions of food provide a direction for intervention programs for the elderly that may improve not only their nutritional status, but also their psychological and social health. Moreover, evidence seems to support the general hypothesis that social interaction is positively related to dietary intake and nutrition in the older person. Also, it is reasonable to assume that the increased physical activity with its resulting benefits to metabolic processes which social interaction entails could help improve the general nutritional status of an older Finally, the group meal could furnish the participant with what might be his only meaningful social contact for each day. This function alone would justify the Program. person. 5 While not desiring to go into the details of execution at the local level, we do feel that some comment should be directed to the Program's educational aspect. Findings from nutritional studies of the general population indicate that the elderly are relatively uninformed about good nutritional practice compared with other age groups. Two facts stand out: (1) The older person tends to follow the dietary patterns of the community in which he lives. (2) The older person tends to follow the dietary patterns of the years when his own life habits were formed. The development of nutrition education programs, then, becomes a very difficult matter, and it would seem that such programs should be put together on an individual (local) basis and centered around already accepted foods and established eating patterns. Indeed, it appears that with respect to older persons, all methods of teaching nutrition facts, food purchasing, and preparation need to be designed in varied and special ways. Turning now to the administrative provisions of S. 1163 we wish to express our satisfaction with the fact that Federal administration of the program will be placed within the Administration on Aging rather than the Department of Agriculture. Placing the program within AoA is most appropriate in that S. 1163 envisions much more than the mere provision of a daily hot meal; rather, it approaches a comprehensive social program and, as such, its purpose can best be achieved through utilization of the resources of the Administration on Aging. Similarly, we feel that, at the state level, the administering agency should be that governmental unit having primary responsibility for responding to the needs of the state's older residents. In summary, Mr. Chairman, the nutrition problems of the aged stem from multiple causes and experience would indicate that no single approach could be effective in overcoming all obstacles to adequate food and nutrition. As stated by Jeanette Pelcovits, Nutritionist and Specialist in Aging with the Administration on Aging and Dr. Douglas Holmes, Director of the Center for Community Research in New York City: "Certainly many of the aged cannot afford to buy Experience to date demonstrates that the most effective Our Associations commend Senator Kennedy and the cosponsors of S. 1163 and we urge this Committee to take immediate and favorable action on it. We view the bill as a significant response to a serious need, and we appreciate your having given us the opportunity to express our thoughts. Senator STEVENSON. The next witnesses are Mrs. Marjorie M. Donnelly, president, American Dietetic Association, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., and Mrs. Lois B. Earl, chief nutritionist, Department of Human Resources Community Health Services Administration. STATEMENT OF MRS. MARJORIE M. DONNELLY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, RALEIGH, N.C. Mrs. DONNELLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mrs. Earl has not been able to attend due to illness in her family. Senator STEVENSON. I am sorry to hear that. Do you have a statement you would like to read or would you care to summarize it? Mrs. DONNELLY. I believe we can accomplish our purpose more quickly if I read the statement. Mr. Chairman, I am Marjorie M. Donnelly and I serve as specialist in charge of foods and nutrition of the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service at North Carolina University in Raleigh. I am also the president of the American Dietetic Association and it is in that capacity that I am presenting testimony. First of all, I want to express the appreciation of our association for this opportunity to present its views. The American Dietetic Association has a membership of approximately 22,500 dietitians and nutritionists who have as their objectives the improvement of nutrition of human beings and the advancement of the science of dietetics and nutrition as well as education in these and allied areas. The policy statement adopted by the association that is attached to my statement as attachment A states: Nutrition service under the supervision of qualified nutrition personnel should be a component of all health and health related programs and should be designed to reach the total population with priority to such nutritionally vulnerable groups as infants, children and youth in the growing years, women in the childbearing years, and the older age population. With your permission I would submit for the record the entire text of this policy statement. The aged are a nutritionally vulnerable group and it is for this reason that the American Dietetic Association fully supports S. 1163 and urges its enactment. I would also like to submit for the record a position paper on nutrition and aging that has been adopted by the American Dietetic Association. It appears at the end of my statement as attachment B. (The information referred to follows:) 452 Journal of The American Dietetic Association [VOLUME 55 Promoting Optimal A A A A A Policy Statement of The American Dietetic Association TO FULFILL the objectives of The American Dietetic Association as stated in its Constitution, i.e., "To improve the nutrition of human beings; to advance the science of dietetics and nutrition; and to improve education in these and allied areas,' "The American Dietetic Association recommends that: I. Nutritionally adequate food should be available for all individuals and families. II. Nutrition service under the supervision of qualified nutrition personnel should be a component of all health and health related programs and should be designed to reach the total population with priority to such nutritionally vulnerable groups as infants, children and youth in the growing years, women in the child-bearing years, and the older age population. III. Nutrition education should be available to all individuals and families and, in schools, should be a basic curriculum requirement. School feeding programs in which there is continued application of current nutrition knowledge and coordination with nutrition education in the classroom should be available to all children. IV. Recruitment and training of professional and supportive nutrition personnel should be accelerated and expanded to fulfill the present and projected needs for manpower to provide the services needed to attain and maintain optimal nutritional health of the population. V. To assist the states and their communities in improving the health of their residents through nutrition, the federal government should: (a) Develop and promulgate national nutrition policies; (b) Recognize the importance of nutrition to health by establishing an organizational unit with responsibility for a comprehensive coordinated nutrition program in all federal agencies administering health services; (c) Establish at policy-making levels, authority which applies to all departments concerned with developing and implementing a coordinated nutrition program; (d) Provide financial assistance for nutrition surveillance surveys, applied nutrition research and demonstrations, grants-in-aid to support public health nutrition programs, and consumer protection activities; and (e) Establish a uniform system for nation-wide reporting of morbidity and mortality of malnutrition which will provide statistics on the magnitude and location of primary, secondary, and tertiary malnutrition. VI. There be a White House Conference on Nutrition and that nutrition be represented in all White House Conferences with implications for nutritional health. VII. Participation of the food industry should be solicited in promoting optimal nutritional health of the population. Attachment A 68-179 O-71-16 Reprinted from JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION Vol. 55, No. 5, November, 1969 |