July 22, 2010
New national dietary guidelines for Americans, to be released this year, may recommend major changes in eating habits.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, composed of 13 nutrition experts, is recommending that Americans consume more vegetables and whole grains, and less fatty meats, salt, and sugar. In addition to addressing an overall concern with the growing obesity epidemic, the report recommended the following:
· Limit intake of saturated fat to less than seven percent of total calories. Current guidelines set the maximum at 10 percent.
· Daily salt consumption shouldn't exceed 1,500 mg a day. The current guideline is 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg for at-risk people.
· Daily vitamins don't benefit "healthy Americans" but can help people with known deficiencies, such as of iron or calcium.
· Discourage children from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, and encourage them to get more physical exercise.
The Committee's recommendations are taken into consideration by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services as they develop new national dietary guidelines, which are updated every five years. The guidelines then serve as the basis for the USDA's updated food pyramid, which is scheduled for release in Spring 2011.
Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. (USDA)