Reps. Peters and Beyer Introduce Legislation to Address the Diet-Related Disease Epidemic Afflicting American Children

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. Scott Peters (CA-50) and Don Beyer (VA-8) introduced the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act to address growing public health concerns about rising childhood obesity rates and diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes. The legislation would require that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implement clear nutrient and health warning labels for junk foods, ban junk food advertisements targeting children, direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research programs on the health effects of ultra-processed foods, and requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lead a national initiative to educate children and families on nutrient warning labels and how to incorporate physical activity and good eating habits into their lifestyles.

"Since the 1970s, the number of American children and teens who are considered obese has more than tripled, in large part because our country's food system is increasingly dominated by overly processed, habit-forming foods that lack nutritional value," said Rep. Peters. "This is not an accident. These 'ultra-processed' foods are engineered to create a dependency and to be less nutritious. Americans deserve clear information about what they are feeding their families and not to have junk food aggressively advertised to their children. Our bill, the only one in Congress that addresses ultra-processed foods, will create a clear front-of-package labeling requirement for junk foods and prevent these unhealthy foods from being marketed specifically to kids."

"Today, one in five American children are living with heightened risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other diet-related chronic diseases," said Rep. Beyer. "Congress must take bold action to protect the health of our youngest citizens. Our legislation would do just that by empowering families with the tools and information they need to make healthier choices while holding the food and beverage industry accountable for targeting our children with unhealthy products."

Over the past two decades, the availability and consumption of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods with little nutritional value has increased dramatically. Scientific evidence increasingly links the consumption of these ultra-processed foods to adverse health outcomes. The CDC has found that nearly 15 million Americans aged 2-19 years are living with obesity, increasing their risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, sleep apnea, and other diet-related chronic diseases.

Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Peter Welch (D-VT) are leading companion legislation in the Senate.

Full text of the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act is available here, with a one-pager available here.

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