by Carla Carter, OTR/L
President Biden presented the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health during the last week of September, which culminated on the 28th during a day-long conference on how to end hunger, and improve nutrition and health for our nation by 2030.
“It’s been more than 50 years since the first and only White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health was held in 1969. That pivotal event helped galvanize actions that included the creation of life changing programs like school lunches, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and changes to how we label foods.”
With an aggressive agenda, in-person speakers met to discuss plans to address all aspects of the complicated topics. Thousands of people and all aspects of professional communities also joined in to watch virtually, including us at NCA.
There were words of advocacy for working individuals who can’t get by on a paycheck from a single job.
There were words of advocacy for children who should have permanent access to free meals at school.
There were words of advocacy for veterans and their families who cannot afford food.
There were words of advocacy for disadvantaged, and underrepresented cultures and ethnicities.
As I listened to the amazing advocates, bells were ringing in my head at how people who require gluten-free food are present in ALL of the demographics they were championing for. Yet, there was no mention of the cost of gluten-free food, no attention to the fact that 1 in 6 Americans with celiac disease is food insecure.
Many events were happening simultaneously so it was unclear if gluten-free food was ever mentioned. However, we must try to do more to be included in the conversation because this National Strategy holds such great potential to make accelerated change happen for all of us in the celiac and gluten-free community.
Please watch NCA’s video to the White House and learn how you can make your own video to help advocate for us all.
