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The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues—This report examines current issues facing the WIC Program, focusing on issues with important economic implications, such as expansion of the WIC Program, Federal funding and State incentives, funding for nutrition services and administration (NSA), potential impacts of revised WIC food packages, food prices and WIC, infant formula costs, WIC’s effect on the health of participants, effectiveness of WIC’s nutrition education program, WIC and childhood obesity, and WIC and breastfeeding rates.
WIC and the Battle Against Childhood Overweight—One of the most worrisome aspects of the growing tide of obesity in the United States is the high rate of overweight among children. Over one in five young children ages 2 to 5 are at risk of being overweight. The number of children at risk of being overweight has grown in the past two decades, as has the number of young children whose families participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Are these increases connected? The answer appears to be “no.” However, children in low-income families, especially low-income, Mexican-American families, are more likely to be at risk for overweight.
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