Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Funding bill reproves HHS, USDA handling of Dietary Guidelines
U.S. won’t mention soda taxes in Dietary Guidelines
The new edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government's tips for a healthy diet, will not advocate soda taxes as a way to fight obesity, two Obama cabinet members told lawmakers, despite a suggestion that it should from the panel of experts that is helping to update the guidelines. Health Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said soda taxes fall outside the province of the guidelines so they will not be considered. They cited the same reason on Tuesday in excluding sustainability of food supplies as an element in recommendations for the American diet.
“Most important meal of the day” might not pull its weight
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating breakfast as a way to avoid weight gain but the science behind it may not be as clear as desired, says the Washington Post.
House bill delays calorie counts on menus for two years
Restaurants would not have to put calorie counts on their menus until late 2017 under a bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee and cleared for floor action. The $143.9 billion USDA-FDA funding bill also delays for one year enforcement of a requirement in the 2014 farm law that farmers practice soil and water conservation in order to qualify for federally subsidized crop insurance.
“Hands off my hotdog!” says meat industry petition
In a bid to influence the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines, the meat industry launched a "Hands off my hotdog" petition at Change.org.
Vilsack indicates he’ll color inside the lines on dietary guide
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack indicated during an interview that he will not consider environmental sustainability during an overhaul of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, said the Wall Street Journal.
Longer comment period set for Dietary Guidelines
The government will allow an additional 30 days for comment on the report by a panel of experts on how to revise the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The report has drawn criticism because it says environmental sustainability should be taken into account in recommending a healthy diet. Farm groups, especially from the meat industry, say the report is wrong to say people should eat less meat.
Senate Ag, Health leaders: More time for diet comments
The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Health and Agriculture committees asked for 30 additional days for public comments on a report that will serve as the foundation for a new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. "This advisory committee report included recommendations that are notably different from previous guidelines, which will require additional time to develop thoughtful feedback," said the letter to Health Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
WHO strongly recommends people consume less sugar
Adults and children should limit their daily intake of sugar to less than 10 percent of their total calories, said the World Health Organization in a "strong recommendation" that "can be adopted as policy in most situations." In a statement, the director of WHO's Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, Dr. Francesco Branca, said, “We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay."
Meat industry wants 120-day comment period on diet report
The North American Meat Institute filed a request with the government for a 120-day comment period on the report that the Agriculture and Health departments will use as the basis for the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Diet panel – Eat more fruit, veggies, dairy and less meat
The new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should encourage people to eat more fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole grains and less sugar and refined grains, says a panel of experts advising the government. In its report, the panel says half of Americans have preventable, chronic diseases and two-thirds are overweight or obese. The persistent and high level of diet-related disease "raise the urgency for immediate attention and bold action," says the panel.
Vilsack takes a bite out of the beef about red meat
For weeks, the ag world has buzzed with rumors that the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines would downplay the role of meat in healthy diets or even delete red meat from its recommendations. The 2010 Guidelines say at one point, "Choose a variety of protein foods, which include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds." House Agriculture Committee chairman Mike Conaway raised the issue with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, saying...
Dietary Guidelines panel changes its thinking on cholesterol
The panel of experts charge with updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans "has decided to drop its caution against eating cholesterol-laden food, a move that could undo 40 years of government warnings," says the Washington Post.
Countdown to the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government's tips on healthful diets, will be issued in the new year, says the Health and Human Services Department.
Coffee, sugar, salt, meat, environment – five diet issues
The upcoming edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due later this year, could propose "real limits on sugar," says an Associated Press story that lists "five things to watch for as the government begins writing the new guidelines."
The greening of the Dietary Guidelines?
The 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government's advice on a nutritious diet, "may look at what is healthy for the environment too," says Associated Press.
EWG releases food scorecard, foodmakers call it misleading
The Environmental Working Group unveiled its Food Scores database that rates 80,000 foods on a scale of 1 to 10 based on nutrition, ingredients and how much processing it received.
Dietary Guidelines committee scrutinizes food sustainability
The panel writing the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans - the government's tips for healthy eating - is wading into the question of food systems sustainability.