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 Amidst
exhaustive discussions on protein, sugar, fat, grains, breakfast,
exercise--even a 2 1/2-hour discussion about vitamin D--the Dietary
Guidelines Advisory Committee is nearing completion of the new Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, which will be formally adopted in 2005.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, on which the food pyramid
is based, have been issued every five years by the departments of
Agriculture and Health and Human Services since 1980. The guidelines
consist of seven to 10 short statements and an informational booklet.
The Advisory Committee is made up of unpaid volunteers, generally
from academia. They sort through thousands of pages of studies on
health topics from heart disease to sugar.
Letters from hundreds of groups and individuals are also reviewed
by the Committee. Groups such as the Sugar Association, the Grocery
Manufacturers of America, the American Heart Association, People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Bible-based Hallelujah
Diet, along with “scads of disciples of Dr. Joseph Mercola,
author of ‘The No-Grain Diet,’” have sent their thoughts
to the committee.
Five public meetings to discuss the dietary guidelines have been
held in all. At the meetings, groups including the National Dairy
Council, the Salt Institute and the Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI), a consumer-advocacy group, argue about various
foods including walnuts, soybeans, alcohol and vegetables. CSPI
had also questioned some committee members, saying they had financial
ties with industry groups like the Sugar Association, Campbell Soup
and the American Cocoa Research Institute.
Those who have experienced the Committee say creating the guidelines
is truly political, and at times it seems next to impossible that
agreements will be reached, yet at the end decisions, and progress,
are made. Some of the committees draft guidelines included:
- Monitor your body weight to achieve health
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt
- Cut down on intake of trans fats, found in stick margarines
and many baked goods
The
Seattle Times August 11, 2004
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