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March 14, 2006

Statewide Report Addresses Hunger, Poor Nutrition

The Montana Advisory Council on Food and Nutrition will present its 14th annual report on the State of Food and Nutrition in Montana on Thursday at 1 pm in Room 303 of the State Capitol in Helena.

Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger will be on hand to accept the report on behalf of the Governor's Office.

The advisory council is made up of representatives of public and private organizations throughout Montana and is administered by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. The council is charged with making recommendations to the governor and legislature on food and nutrition issues affecting Montanans.

Following are highlights of the new report:

Common Program Needs

  • Participation levels continue to rise for programs such as SNAP and the School Nutrition Programs. Increased participation, while necessary to meet the needs in the state, strains existing resources in each of these programs.
  • Food and nutrition programs must continue to improve access, simplify enrollments, and maximize use of limited resources.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Education Needs

  • To reach the goal of better health and improved nutritional status for all Montanans, programs are working to provide public education about good nutrition and physical activity. This education must be targeted to reach a diverse population that includes children, adults, and senior citizens.
  • The rate of obesity among children is growing rapidly. Education efforts are targeting day cares, schools, and other educational centers. Schools with nutrition programs have a new requirement to develop and implement a school wellness policy, which could provide an opportunity to positively affect the nutritional status of children.
  • Programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) recognize that low-income families with working parents have less time to prepare food and may have unhealthy food intakes. The need continues for these families to develop skills to prepare healthy meals quickly and reduce use of high-fat, high-sodium, low-nutrient "fast" foods.
  • The nutrition and health needs of people on reservations are critical to address. Although the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) could teach residents about nutrition, meal planning, and safe food handling, funding is not available for such education.

Reduced Funding - Cuts in Benefits and Services

  • The current federal budget has severely reduced funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for low-income seniors, so the program will not be able to serve all those currently in the program. The presidents' proposed 2007 budget completely eliminates the program.
  • Due to an increase in food insecurity and hunger, the demand for food through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has increased.
  • As more soup kitchens and food pantries open, increased consumer demands on the limited commodity supplies cannot be met.

For more information about the council or to get a copy of its report, contact council co-chair Minkie Medora at (406) 549-3413 or Doug Blakley at (406) 444-7787 or dblakley@mt.gov.

Page last updated: 06/13/2006