DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES               Office of the Secretary

Dear Colleague:

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Toolkit for Health Professionals was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in cooperation with the American Dietetic Association.

We all know as health professionals how hard it is to translate scientific knowledge into language and steps that everyday Americans can understand and act on.  By talking with and listening to your patients and clients about about what they eat and why, as well as their activity level, you have the opportunity to help them take steps to make healthier choices.  This toolkit was specifically designed to help you meet your clients' needs and encourage them to eat nutritious food and be more physically active.

First, the toolkit brings together Federal nutrition science and physical activity expertise based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to promote health and help reduce risk of chronic diseases through diet and physical activity.  It provides easy-to-access and useful information to assist you in helping Americans make smart choices to improve their health.  The toolkit includes brochures, fact sheets, healthy eating plans, tips, reproducible worksheets, presentations on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, instructions on how to use the Food label, and more.

You'll find a variety of components that you can mix and match to communicate the Dietary Guidelines whether you are addressing a group or an individual.  Plus, the toolkit offers a module for older adults created in conjunction with the Administration on Aging.  We look forward to continuing to expand this toolkit by offering more materials and resources in the future targeted for specific populations.   (Updates will be added online at http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/).

We appreciate your role in spreading the word that it's great to develop healthy habits early in life, but it's also never too late to start.  At any age, at every stage of life, everyone can make healthier choices.

[Signature] John O. Agwunobi Assistant Secretary for Health

U.S. Public Health Service