Dietary Guidelines for Americans released
They’re better, but still influenced by the food industry…
On January 7, 2016, the U.S. government released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which is jointly developed every five years by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA). The guidelines serve as a resource to health care professionals, policymakers and the general public by providing nutrition advice for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. According to the report “about half of all American adults – 117 million people – have one or more preventable, chronic diseases, many of which are related to poor quality eating patterns and physical inactivity.” This level of chronic illness costs billions of dollars in medical bills and lost productivity annually.
The good news for those of us who thrive on a whole food, plant-based diet is that the guidelines recommend that Americans consume more fruits and vegetables, more fiber and whole grains. The five key guidelines from the report are: (more…)