U.S. to look at alcohol, sustainability separately from Dietary Guidelines
In a first step toward a new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government proposed a list of questions for experts to consider, addressing such issues as obesity, the consumption of ultra-processed foods, and strategies for diet quality and weight management. Two hot-button issues — alcoholic beverages and sustainable food production — will be considered separately, it said.
Coronavirus forces delays in food and ag meetings
Organizers announced the delay of three conferences, involving dairy farmers, consumer activists and hemp entrepreneurs, because of the widening outbreak of the coronavirus on Monday. And the government said a meeting of the Dietary Guidelines advisory committee on Thursday and Friday "will move to an online-only format out of an abundance of caution in response to travel restrictions imposed by some of the members' employers."
USDA report: Americans eat healthier at home, then indulge elsewhere
Americans are more likely to bare their sweet tooth at the restaurant or take-out stand while controlling it at home, say two researchers who looked at the ability of dietary advice to counter the “indulgence effect.” As they gain knowledge about healthful diets, people buy healthier foods …
NAS proposes longer and more thorough work on Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government’s advice for healthful diets, are issued every five years but almost all of the work is done in two years by a panel of experts selected for the job. A National Academies of Sciences report, ordered by Congress because of sore feelings …
Americans still have a sweet tooth for sweeteners
On average, Americans consume nearly twice as much sugar and sweeteners as recommended, says a USDA economist in comparing food consumption data with the current edition of the Dietary Guidelines. "While the American diet has improved in some ways, many people still fall short of targets for some food groups and over-indulge in others," says the analysis in USDA's Amber Waves magazine.
Is where you buy groceries a signal of what you buy?
The traditional supermarket is losing its attraction for grocery shoppers, who increasingly buy their food at supercenters, dollar stores and club stores, although supermarkets remain the dominant retailer. Three USDA economists found correlations between where people buy their food, their income levels and what they buy.
In Brazil, fighting obesity with familiar foods
In two generations, Brazil, like many of its neighbors, has gotten fat, says The Nation, and experts such as Carlos Monteiro, a nutrition professor, sees it in a diet teeming with processed and consumer-ready food. "Instant noodles, soda and processed meats are edging out staples like beans and rice, cassava, and fresh produce," writes Bridget Huber in "Slow Food Nation," produced in partnership with FERN.
As China’s waistline balloons, new guidelines urge half as much meat in diet
With 42 percent of Chinese citizens overweight or obese, new dietary guidelines issued by the government recommend eating less meat and fat while consuming more vegetables and dairy — advice being heard in many nations. The suggestion for meat, 58 grams or 2 ounces a day, is half of current consumption levels.
Among consumers, good-tasting food may outweigh good for you
Consumers are turning to foods they shunned a few years ago, says the New York Times: "Under the new thinking, not all fat is bad and neither are all salty foods. A stigma among the public remains for sugar substitutes but less so for cane sugar, at least in moderation. And all of those things are weighed against qualities like simplicity and taste."
Dietary Guidelines, a tug-of-war between science and self-interest
The original edition of the Dietary Guidelines, issued in 1980, was a three-fold pamphlet "with seven easy-to-comprehend rules, such as avoid sugar and saturated fat," says Eating Well magazine. The 2015-2020 edition is 53,000 words covering 211 pages.
Netherlands says eat less meat – a lot less
The government-funded Netherlands Nutrition Center "is recommending people eat just two servings of meat a week, setting an explicit limit on meat consumption for the first time," says National Geographic.
Fruits, vegetables, budgets and the Dietary Guidelines
Americans eat far less than the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and a common excuse is that they cost too much. Not so, say USDA economists, who examined the average retail price of 156 commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, fresh or processed.
Many Americans try to limit sugar in their diet
Perhaps Americans paid attention to the roll-out of the updated Dietary Guidelines, which for the first time recommend a limit on consumption of added sugars to no more than 10 percent of daily calories. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in mid-January "finds that 58 percent [of respondents] say they tried to limit sugar in their diets in the previous 30 days," says Reuters.
Work now, says advocate, to get sustainability in Dietary Guidelines
With cattle ranchers pushing hard, Congress barred the government from considering sustainability in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. An advocate for including the subject, Miriam Nelson, sees the chance for success in the 2020 guidelines.
Dietary Guidelines touch off a food fight
A week after the government issued the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, "nutritionists, public health specialists and experts in preventive health are vying to critique the government document, fill in its gaps and 'spin' the guidelines to support their interests," says the Los Angeles Times.
Dietary Guidelines put spotlight on added sugars
For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a limit on consumption of added sugars - no more than 10 percent of daily calories. The language is part of "key recommendations" in the 2015-2020 Guidelines and is in step with a World Health Organization guideline. "There's a huge opportunity here," said an HHS official because 13 percent of calories in the American diet are added sugars; as much as 17 percent for children and teenagers.
New Dietary Guidelines endorse lean meat, warn against added sugars
The new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be released today, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He declined to discuss the contents of the report, which distills the government's advice about healthy diets, or how it would be released.
Funding bill reproves HHS, USDA handling of Dietary Guidelines
The Republican-controlled Congress scolded the Health and Agriculture departments over their handling of the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due for release this month, and ordered an outside review to ensure future editions are even-handed and “based on strong, balanced …
Experts ask BMJ to retract Dietary Guidelines article
An array of cardiovascular and nutrition scientists from 19 countries signed a letter asking the journal BMJ to retract an article that faulted the scientific rigor that went into recommendations from an advisory committee for updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.