Vision Statement

Well-nourished Americans making health-promoting diet choices based on scientific evidence.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Human Nutrition Program is to define the role of food and its components in optimizing health throughout the life cycle for all Americans by conducting high national priority research.

Process for establishing NP structure and content

A meeting that brought together ARS scientists and administrators, stakeholders from other government agencies, private industry, trade groups, private consultants and academia was held March 7-9, 2000 in College Park, Maryland to review the Human Nutrition National Program. Selected ARS scientists presented overviews of research conducted within the program which set the stage for input from stakeholders on research objectives they considered important. Breakout sessions allowed for in depth discussion and the action plan was developed keeping these views in mind.

Seven major components for research were identified during this process: Composition of Foods, Bioavailability of Nutrients and Food Components, Nutrition Monitoring, Nutrient Requirements, Health Promoting Properties of Plant and Animal Foods, Diet, Genetics Lifestyle, and the Prevention of Obesity and Disease, and Health Promoting Intervention Strategies for Targeted Populations. Priority objectives identified were increased interactions among the Human Nutrition Research Centers and interaction with associated laboratories conducting human nutrition research.

The research components of this program include:

• Composition of Foods
• Bioavailability of Nutrients and Food Components
• Nutrition Monitoring
• Nutrient Requirements
• Health Promoting Properties of Plant and Animal Foods
• Relationship between Diet, Genetics, Lifestyle, and the Prevention of Obesity and Disease
• Health Promoting Intervention Strategies for Targeted Populations

The order of these components does not reflect prioritization but a scale of basic to more applied problems we are addressing. Priority objectives identified at the workshop were increased interactions among the Human Nutrition Research Centers and with associated laboratories conducting human nutrition research. 

Research is dynamic and both the researchable issues and outcomes listed in this Action Plan may change from what is stated here and revision of the plan may occur before completion of the ARS five-year program cycle.  Interim results may suggest other research opportunities so not all projects proposed at the beginning of the cycle will necessarily be carried out to completion.

It is important to realize the interrelated nature of many projects in this program; that is, projects within one component of this national program often bear on other components.  For example, both nutrition monitoring and composition of foods data are integral to prevention of obesity and health promoting intervention strategies.