By: Elizabeth Rahavi, RD   Date: 5/18/10

Currently, the United States Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is in the process of finalizing their Committee report to inform the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will be jointly produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. Once finalized, the report will be used to set nutrition standards for all federal food and nutrition policy.

After listening to the Committee deliberations over the past two years, it has become clear that for the first time, the emphasis of this report will focus on reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the U.S. population. Earlier editions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans focused on a healthy population and provided recommendations for food groups and nutrients to encourage helping Americans reduce their risk of nutritional deficiencies and chronic disease.  Today, however, in an effort to help Americans achieve a healthful diet, the Committee is placing a special emphasis on foods that are high in fiber and whole grains, as well as nutrients such as vitamin C, A, E, and D, calcium, and potassium. These foods are known as nutrient-dense foods.

 “It is time for everyone in this country to know how many calories they need in a day.  All of the labeling in the world won’t make a difference if they do not know this basic information.” -- Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Chair, Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, LD

Coming to Grips with the Almighty Calorie

Helping Americans achieve a healthful weight will require people to have a basic awareness of how many calories they need to consume everyday. Findings from the International Food Information Council Foundation Food & Health Survey have consistently shown that the vast majority of Americans don’t know how many calories they need per day.  To help address this need, the Committee is focusing on incorporating concepts related to energy balance into most of the recommendations within the report. For example, in addressing nutrients of concern (i.e., calcium, vitamin D, potassium and fiber) the Committee’s goal is not to give carte blanch to overconsume these foods. Rather, the recommendation is for Americans to consume more of foods that contain these nutrients, but within the context of a flexible diet that balances the calories consumed from food with those that are expended through everyday activity.  Health professionals and nutrition communicators will have a central role to play in translating these recommendations, especially concepts about energy balance, into language that is appealing to general population.

Creating a Flexible Diet

Because there is no single American diet, flexibility in eating patterns should be recognized. The Committee evaluated worldwide dietary patterns and their relationship to chronic disease and overall health benefits to help shed light on various eating patterns. There was considerable evidence supporting the benefits of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean diets. Asian diets (Japanese and Okinawan) and vegetarian diets were also examined.
According to modeling studies conducted by the USDA, in the U.S. population most calories come from foods that are high in solid fats (this includes saturated and trans-fat) and added sugars. These foods make up 35% of total calories consumed by the average American. This diet has made it difficult for most Americans to obtain the nutrients they need to promote health. Therefore, decreasing the amount of calories consumed from solid fat and added sugars is a particular focus area within the report. Foods that should be increased in the diet include: whole grains, low-fat dairy, seafood, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Sodium, due to its effect on increasing blood pressure, should also be consumed in limited amounts. Interestingly, an important determinant of sodium intake is calorie intake, so efforts to reduce calorie intake might also lower sodium intake.

Helping Americans Achieve Dietary Guidance

The upcoming report is rich in evidence-based recommendations that would delight any nutrition or physical activity enthusiast, including myself. However, the likelihood that folks will read the report front to back might prove too overwhelming, and if you did what your main takeaway be? To help Americans achieve all of the recommendations set forth in the report, the Committee wrapped everything up into four main goals. These goals include:

Reducing overweight and obesity by reducing calorie intake;
Helping Americans shift to a more plant-based diet to increase nutrient intake;
Reducing the amount of calories that come from added sugars and solid fats and reducing intake of sodium;
Helping Americans achieve the 2008 US Physical Activity Guidelines.

To help Americans meet these objectives, the Committee recognized the need to involve policymakers and industry to help make the recommendations easier for Americans to achieve. However, we all have a role to play in helping the “planner” within us, that part of us that knows we should watch our portion sizes, take frequent walks, and not eat when we aren’t hungry, overcome the “doer” within us that always seems to get us into trouble by sneaking treats when the planner isn’t looking.  Strategies, tips, advice and good communication will be cornerstones to helping Americans achieve dietary guidance. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the Intenational Food Information Council Foundation and other partners who are interested in helping Americans improve their health by leading an active and healthful lifestyle.  In the meantime, I’m readily awaiting the release of the full Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report, which should be available for public comment this summer/fall. 
  
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