The White House announced Wednesday billions of dollars in pledges from major corporations — including the likes of fast food behemoth Burger King — to craft a national strategy on ending the twin US challenges of hunger and obesity.
The private sector pledges were unveiled as President Joe Biden hosted what the administration touted as the first big White House summit on food and diet since Richard Nixon was in office more than half a century ago.
Nearly 42 per cent of American adults are technically obese and about 10 per cent of US households suffer food insecurity, according to the latest government statistics.
Biden told the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that government, Congress, private companies and society must work together to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in the United States by 2030.
“If you can’t feed your child, what the hell else matters?” he asked the audience of Congress members, activists, health experts and food industry representatives including top chef and humanitarian Jose Andres. “In America, no child should go to bed hungry. No parent should die of disease that can be prevented.”
Because Congress is unlikely to fund major federal dietary programs, Biden finds his hands largely tied. However, officials said he was using the power of the presidency to get major companies involved and that the response has been strong.
“We know that we can only achieve the goals… if…
