USDA and HHS
Announce New Dietary Guidelines to Help Americans Make
Healthier Food Choices and Confront Obesity Epidemic
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2011 — Agriculture Secretary
TomVilsack and Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius today
announced the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans, the federal government's evidence-based
nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the
risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of
overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and
physical activity.
Because
more than one-third of children and more than
two-thirds of adults in the United States are
overweight or obese, the 7th edition of Dietary
Guidelines for Americans places stronger emphasis on
reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical
activity.
“The 2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a
time when the majority of adults and one in three
children is overweight or obese and this is a crisis
that we can no longer ignore,” said Secretary Vilsack.
“These new and improved dietary recommendations give
individuals the information to make thoughtful choices
of healthier foods in the right portions and to
complement those choices with physical activity. The
bottom line is that most Americans need to trim our
waistlines to reduce the risk of developing
diet-related chronic disease. Improving our eating
habits is not only good for every individual and
family, but also for our country.”
The new
2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on
balancing calories with physical activity, and
encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat
dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less
sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and
refined grains.
“Helping Americans incorporate these guidelines into
their everyday lives is important to improving the
overall health of the American people,” said HHS
Secretary Sebelius. “The new Dietary Guidelines
provide concrete action steps to help people live
healthier, more physically active and longer lives.”
The 2010
Dietary Guidelines for Americans include 23 Key
Recommendations for the general population and six
additional Key Recommendations for specific population
groups, such as women who are pregnant. Key
Recommendations are the most important messages within
the Guidelines in terms of their implications for
improving public health. The recommendations are
intended as an integrated set of advice to achieve an
overall healthy eating pattern. To get the full
benefit, all Americans should carry out the Dietary
Guidelines recommendations in their entirety.
More
consumer-friendly advice and tools, including a next
generation Food Pyramid, will be released by USDA and
HHS in the coming months. Below is a preview of some
of the tips that will be provided to help consumers
translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday
lives:
• Enjoy
your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen
meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
This
edition of the Dietary Guidelines comes at a critical
juncture for America’s health and prosperity. By
adopting the recommendations in the Dietary
Guidelines, Americans can live healthier lives and
contribute to a lowering of health-care costs, helping
to strengthen America’s long-term economic
competitiveness and overall productivity.
USDA and
HHS have conducted this latest review of the
scientific literature, and have developed and issued
the 7th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans in a joint effort that is mandated by
Congress. The Guidelines form the basis of nutrition
education programs, Federal nutrition assistance
programs such as school meals programs and Meals on
Wheels programs for seniors, and dietary advice
provided by health professionals.
The Dietary Guidelines, based on the most sound
scientific information, provide authoritative advice
for people 2 years and older about how proper dietary
habits can promote health and reduce risk for major
chronic diseases.
The
Dietary Guidelines aid policymakers in designing and
implementing nutrition-related programs. They also
provide education and health professionals, such as
nutritionists, dietitians, and health educators with a
compilation of the latest science-based
recommendations. A table with key consumer behaviors
and potential strategies for professionals to use in
implementing the Dietary Guidelines is included in the
appendix.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines is available at
www.dietaryguidelines.gov.
For more
information on dietary guidelines, see
www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines and
www.healthfinder.gov/prevention.


|