BACKGROUND
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, first released in 1980 and
revised in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000, is published jointly by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS). Section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related
Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341) requires the Secretaries of USDA and HHS to
publish jointly at least every 5 years a report entitled Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
Beginning with the 1985 edition, HHS and USDA have appointed a
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of nationally recognized experts in the
field of nutrition and health to review the scientific and medical knowledge
current at the time, and to recommend to the Secretaries any revisions to the
Dietary Guidelines that are warranted. The Committees produced reports of their
recommendations and rationales for revision to the Secretaries. The Departments
then jointly reviewed and published the revised Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
The Dietary Guidelines, based on the latest scientific
information including medical knowledge, provides authoritative advice for
people two years and older about how proper dietary habits can promote health
and reduce risk for major chronic diseases. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines were
prepared in three stages. In the first, a 13-member Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee prepared a report based on the best available science. Minutes of each
Committee meeting and the Committee Report are available via the Internet at
www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines. In the second stage, government scientists and
officials developed the Dietary Guidelines after reviewing the advisory
committee's report and agency and public comments. In the third stage, experts
worked to translate the Dietary Guidelines into meaningful messages for the
public and educators.
The Dietary Guidelines identifies 41 key recommendations, of
which 23 are for the general public and 18 for special populations. They are
grouped into nine general topics:
- Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs
- Weight Management
- Physical Activity
- Food Groups to Encourage
- Fats
- Carbohydrates
- Sodium and Potassium
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Food Safety
The Dietary Guidelines provides health education experts, such
as doctors and nutritionists, with a compilation of the latest science-based
nutrition and physical activity recommendations. Consumer-friendly materials
such as brochures and Web sites will assist the general public in
understanding the scientific language of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the
key points that they can apply in their lives. To highlight those points, a
consumer-oriented brochure, Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans accompanies the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.
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