Q: What are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, who are they for, and how are they used? A: Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans is published jointly every 5 years by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), as mandated by Congress. The goal of the Dietary Guidelines is to provide science-based nutrition and food safety recommendations for people two years and older to help promote habits that maximize good health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. These recommendations serve as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education initiatives and are used by the health and nutrition communities.
Q: How are the Dietary Guidelines developed?
A: Although nutrition science continues to emerge and evolve, the Dietary Guidelines are based on the preponderance of consensus science available at the time of revision. This research is then examined and analyzed by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee panel of scientific experts on the basis of the scientific strength of each study, as well as abundance and efficacy of data. Finally, the Advisory Committee develops consensus statements representing scientifically valid and appropriate nutrition considerations to prevent chronic disease and maintain nutrient adequacy.
Q: What’s new and different about the process this time?
A: Every time the Dietary Guidelines are revised, new scientific data is considered, thus altering the recommendations as appropriate. This time, there were also some procedural changes. In the past, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has been tasked with examining the science and developing communication messages. The 2005 revision is the first time that the scientific experts were asked to deliver only the comprehensive scientific report to HHS and USDA, from which an inter-agency working group developed nutrition policy and communication messages based on the scientific report.
Q: We know that the Food Guide Pyramid is being updated as well. Will these Dietary Guidelines impact the Food Guide Pyramid?
A: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines will be the basis for developing the new food guidance system. Whether it will be in the form of a pyramid or another graphic, the information will be a science-based depiction of food groups and how to plan a diet based on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report. One example is the Committee’s recommendation for increasing consumption of whole grain foods. The new food guidance system is expected to be released in early spring 2005.
Q: We’ve had Dietary Guidelines for years, but the U.S. continues to have an “obesity epidemic.” How will these Guidelines help?
A: The causes of obesity are numerous and complex. In light of an increase in the percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese, today’s guidance considers nutrient adequacy in the context of calorie management to a much greater extent than past guidance. While the Dietary Guidelines do not serve as a “weight-loss diet,” they are designed to address the increasing weight gain in the population and to help all Americans manage and/or maintain their weight as appropriate. It is both an opportunity and challenge to communicate the recommendations in a useful and consumer-friendly way to help individuals make wise choices about maintaining a healthful lifestyle and weight.
Q: How are the Dietary Guidelines meant to be used? Are there some simple steps readers can use to implement the guidance?
A: To help translate recommendations into behavior, consumers consistently ask for specific actions that they can relate to, individualize, and incorporate into their lifestyle. Some tried and tested consumer messages and tips that show consumers how to balance caloric intake and expenditure are as follows:
Be Flexible: Go ahead and balance what you eat and the physical activity you do over several days. No need to worry about just one meal or one day.
“Love the taste of whole milk? Balance it out with lower-fat food choices you like such as mellow reduced fat cheddar cheese, tangy low-fat sour cream, or zesty fat-free salad dressing.”
“Is your ‘age-o-meter’ turning another year? Balance your birthday dinner out by eating a light breakfast and lunch, then dance the night away.”
“Lots of high-powered breakfast meetings this week? Counteract those extra calories by walking to the office afterwards, snacking on fresh fruit mid-afternoon, or attending an extra aerobics class or two during the week.”
Q: Where can people get a copy of the Dietary Guidelines?
A: A wealth of resources, including the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee scientific document, Dietary Guidelines policy document, and communication materials may be found at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines.
Q: Are there other resources for information about using the Dietary Guidelines?
A: The key to the success of the Dietary Guidelines will ultimately lie in the ability to communicate effectively to consumers about its use. IFIC Foundation has a number of resources designed to help those interested in communicating the Dietary Guidelines. Links to these resources are as follows:
Tools for Effective Communications—A resource to maximize nutrition and food safety communication skills.
http://ific.org/tools/intro.cfm
It’s All About You—A toolkit produced by the Dietary Guidelines Alliance that is a powerful teaching tool helping nutrition communicators to convey positive, simple, and consistent nutrition and health messages to consumers. The components of the Tool Kit were extensively pilot-tested with health professionals and consumers.
http://ific.org/publications/other/allaboutyouom.cfm
For more information on nutrition and food safety, refer to these additional IFIC Foundation resources:
