The federal government (USDA) just released its latest dietary guidelines in a 39-page booklet, emphasizing fitness, weight control and food safety in addition to a healthy diet, citing the fact that 55% of adults and 10% of children are considered overweight.
The government did not modify the previously recommended "Food Pyramid," calling instead for a "common sense approach" to diet and exercise.
The dietary guidelines call for a diet that is "low in saturated fat and cholesterol" and, as in previous editions, recommends a fat intake that represents no more than 30% of total calories each day. The guidelines also recommend that foods be prepared with less salt and that adults who drink alcoholic beverages do so in moderation.
The dietary guideline calls for 6 to 11 servings from the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group; 2 to 4 servings from fruit; 2 to 3 servings from meat, poultry, fish, beans or eggs; 2 to 3 servings of dairy products; 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group, and advises using oils, fats and sweets only sparingly.
But the new guidelines did not find favor with everyone. Dr. Robert Atkins called the government's food guidelines "criminal."
"They didn't change anything, and ducked out of responding to the important real health risks -- white flour and sugar. Each year the average American consumes 154 pounds of sugar and more than 200 pounds of white flour," Dr. Atkins asserted. "They don't have the nutrients necessary for good health, and calling for 6 to 11 servings of bread and cereal is criminal and is a major cause of the obesity in Americans today."
According to Dr. Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) "the government caved in to pressure from junk-food makers and rejected its scientific advisory committee's advice to recommend that people 'limit' their sugar intake." The government bowed to criticism from the food and soft drink industry and changed the recommendation to "limit" sugar intake to "moderate" it.
In addition to the new diet guidelines, the USDA announced that it is proposing to require nutritional labeling of meat in the same format as other foods, listing fat, protein, and carbohydrate content, among other things. The USDA will be taking comments on this proposal, which could take effect by the end of this year or early 2001.
According to President Clinton: "Providing citizens with accurate information that affects their lives is one of government's most vital responsibilities".
Click here for the new food guidelines
As usual, the government's guidelines are not based on good science and are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic that they claim to be fighting.
I wholeheartedly agree with President Clinton's statement about providing accurate information, which is exactly the purpose of this newsletter. However, there is the crucial question: What information is important and will affect people's lives? Although the nutritional labeling of meat is not a bad idea, there is no mention made of labeling meat that was treated with growth hormones, antibiotics or other drugs, or contains pesticides and/or herbicides. Additionally, virtually all beef sold in the USA is grain-fed. However, grain is not the natural diet of cattle and is not healthy for them. Also, cattle are often fed other unnatural and unhealthy things such as the remains of cattle and other animals that were too sick to survive. Even a mixture of sawdust and chicken manure is used as cattle feed. Additionally, the USDA has approved the use of irradiation of meat and poultry and this should also be clearly and prominently labeled.