Opportunities and Challenges

Collective national action and community involvement are essential to promote healthful diets among all Americans and to reverse the trend in increased overweight and obesity. The Dietary Guidelines provides a focus for many of these efforts by identifying eating and physical activity patterns that can help Americans manage weight and reduce risk of chronic disease. Two examples of balanced eating plans consistent with the Dietary Guidelines are the revised Food Guidance System "MyPyramid"¹⁵ and DASH (the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan.¹⁶ The food label is another tool that can help consumers construct healthful diets.¹⁷

Policies and programs that foster healthy behaviors in youth may be especially important to further progress in the prevention of obesity and diet-related disease in the United States.¹⁸ The Coordinated School Health Program sponsored by HHS through CDC in partnership with USDA, helps to support States and communities as they develop school wellness policies.¹⁹ Schools are also a focal point of the USDA Team Nutrition initiative, which provides training to food service professionals as well as nutrition education.²⁰ The classroom offers another opportunity to foster healthy behaviors in children and adolescents. While some classroom curricula address a range of topics on nutrition and physical activity,²¹ others focus on specific topics such as the scientific principles of energy balance within the body or on high blood pressure prevention.^{21, 22, 23} Still other efforts to promote healthy eating and fitness among youth are directed at afterschool programs or at parents and caregivers.^{24, 25}

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