Embargoed For Release
Saturday, May 27, 2000, 10:06 a.m. |
Contact:
HHS Public Affairs (202) 690-6343
USDA: (202) 418-2312 |
USDA, HHS RELEASE UPDATED DIETARY GUIDELINES
FOR AMERICANS
The Federal Government today released the fifth edition of Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,
providing easily understood, science-based information on how Americans
can choose diets that promote good health.
The
new guidelines, announced by President Clinton in his weekly radio
address, have been improved to be more consumer-friendly, to contain
more specific scientific recommendations and to address the need for
safe food handling to prevent illness.
"This
edition of the Dietary Guidelines provides practical advice and useful
information for American families," HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala said. "They
will help consumers apply the most current scientific knowledge to the
way they eat every day, both to promote health and to reduce their
chances of developing many chronic diseases."
"The
Dietary Guidelines are the gold standard when it comes to applying
scientific research to what people should be eating," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.
The
new guidelines continue to emphasize balance, moderation and variety in
food choices, with a special emphasis on grain products, vegetables and fruits. The guidelines
include specific examples of foods that deliver given nutrients,
including choices for vegetarians.
The
new guidelines also emphasize physical activity as important for healthy
living, more than just for weight management. For example, physical activity can help build and maintain
healthy bones, muscles, and joints; build endurance and muscular
strength; and promote psychological well-being and self-esteem. Moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days of
the week is recommended for adults and 60 minutes for children.
For
the first time, there is a guideline that focuses on keeping food safe
to eat, particularly the need to keep and prepare foods safely in the
home. Recommendations
include keeping preparation areas and utensils clean; separating raw,
cooked, and ready-to-eat foods; cooking food to a safe temperature; and
chilling perishable foods promptly.
"We
have long recognized the importance of a healthy diet," said Secretary Shalala. "The
guidelines now highlight the integral relationships of physical activity
and safe food handling to healthful eating patterns."
In
his radio address, President Clinton also announced that USDA will
require nutrition labeling for meat and poultry products, including all
ground or chopped meat. Under
the rule to be proposed this summer, retailers would be required to
provide nutrition information through product labels or at the point of
purchase by posting signs or making information readily available in
brochures or leaflets. The
required information would include fat, calories and cholesterol
content. Providing such
information currently is voluntary, but fewer than 60 percent of
retailers did so last year.
The
Dietary Guidelines are published every five years, and they provide the
basis of the Food
Guide Pyramid. In addition to providing information to consumers, the Dietary
Guidelines form the basis for Federal nutrition policy and programs.
The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans were first published in 1980. The law requires that they be updated every five years to
incorporate advances in medical and scientific research.
These
updates are based on the recommendations of an 11-member Dietary
Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of widely recognized nutrition
and medical experts. The
advisory committee for this version was chaired by Dr. Cutberto Garza of
Cornell University.
The
2000 edition of the Dietary Guidelines makes ten recommendations, a
change from the seven recommendations of past editions. For ease in understanding, the recommendations have been placed
in three groups:
Aim for Fitness:
- Aim for a healthy weight.
-
Be physically active each day.
Build a Healthy Base:
-
Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
-
Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
-
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
-
Keep food safe to eat.
Choose Sensibly:
-
Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
-
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
-
Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
-
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
The
Dietary Guidelines and related information may be downloaded from the
Internet at http://www.usda.gov/cnpp or through
HHS Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines.
Printed copies will be available in August 2000 through the
Government Printing Office or the Consumer Information Center.
The Government Printing Office, at (202) 512-1800, will sell
packets of 25 copies for $92.00, stock number 001-000-04681-1.
The Consumer Information Center will sell single copies for
$4.75, by sending check or money order to Consumer Information Center,
Pueblo, CO 81009.
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subject of this announcement, please visit our Press Release and Fact
Sheet search engine at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press.
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