The abundance of nutrition information in the media can make it difficult to determine the most nutritious way to eat and maintain a healthy weight. The newly updated 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released on Jan. 12, aims to offer Americans some scientifically sound advice.
Every five years, the United States government undertakes the task of condensing the scientific research regarding nutrition, physical activity and food safety into a cohesive set of recommendations for healthy living. The Department of Health and Human Services and The Department of Agriculture select a group of the nation's preeminent scientists to review the literature and develop key points.
In previous years, the guidelines were written for the general public to use and understand. This year, however, the guidelines contain more technical information because they are oriented toward policy makers, nutrition educators, nutritionists and health care providers.
The 2005 guidelines reinforce messages from previous publications, but add some new recommendations as well. The overall theme is that the diet should provide the nutrients needed for growth and health, and that these nutrients should come primarily from foods, rather than from supplements, when possible. The recommended daily calorie intake for moderately active individuals 19-30 years old is 2,000-2,200 (females) and 2,600-2,800 (males).
To stay within these calorie ranges and still get all of your nutrients, it is recommended that foods chosen be nutrient-dense items such as vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. The guidelines recommend limiting sugar, salt, cholesterol, alcohol, saturated fat, and, with new emphasis, trans fat (i.e. partially hydrogenated oils).
More so than in previous editions, the new guidelines emphasize the problem of obesity and include chapters on weight management and physical activity. As opposed to the 30-minute daily recommendation of exercise from previous years, the 2005 guidelines recommend 30 minutes for decreased risk of disease, but 60 minutes for weight management and up to 90 minutes to sustain weight loss.
The USDA is developing educational materials to present the new guidelines in an easily understandable way. For the past 12 years, the Food Guide Pyramid has served as the model for conveying this information. Now the pyramid design will be replaced with the new Food Guidance System, which USDA plans to reveal in the upcoming months. The new model will appear anywhere the pyramid did, including education materials and food packaging.
Sara is a graduate student in the dual-degree Nutrition and Public Health program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BA in Anthropology from Cornell University.
