The panel, which advises the government on how to update the Dietary Guidelines every five years, also pushed the envelope a bit by recommending a plant-focused diet – not only because it promotes health, but because it’s also more environmentally sustainable. That’s a clear effort to thwart a recommendation from a government advisory panel of doctors and nutrition experts.
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“This is simply a ham-fisted attempt on the part of powerful special interests, led by the meat industry, to have politicians meddle in the government’s nutrition advice”, said CSPI director of regulatory affairs Laura MacCleery.
The more so dietary guidelines are known to impact everything, starting with what is served in school cafeteria lunches to the choices consumers make when they select their daily meals. The latest version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is due out later this year, could contain a number of big changes in its recommendations, not the least of which is an exoneration of fat.
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The proposed legislation likely was added to the appropriations bill in response to industry complaints that the recommendations overstepped the committee’s mandate. The new recommendation for increased plant consumption, especially as it impacts our planet, was based on science that received a “moderate” score, which has now become the target of the Republican bills. An amendment to strike the dietary guidelines language from the bill was offered by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
The guidelines panel had used three grades to determine the strength of the science supporting its recommendations: Grade 1 is strong, Grade 2 is moderate and Grade 3 is limited. “Given the scope and urgency of these problems, it is important to consider the translation fo the 2015 DGAC’s entire report to the extent possible into the most comprehensive diet and health advice and an array of evidence-based programs and services”.
Millen goes on to say, “Research evolves and we expect it to change”. “That doesn’t negate the importance of a large body of consistent data that may have limitations of a certain kind”.
Other aspects have also drawn debate.
But…the tips ought to exclusively give attention to vitamin and weight loss plan, says Congressional Republicans fought again the committee’s newly launched vitamin and well being dietary tips. The cancer society’s own guidelines have long urged people to take the same step.
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Dr. Daruish Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University explains on HNGN: “Modern evidence clearly shows that eating more foods rich in healthful fats like nuts, vegetable oils and fish have protective effects, particularly for cardiovascular disease…It’s the food that matters, not its fat content”. Other targets include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who regulate food package labeling and issue diet advice to families and children respectively. A Senate bill overseeing spending for the Health and Human Services Department is vaguer, saying the guidelines must be based only on a preponderance of nutritional and scientific evidence and not extraneous information.The advisory committee should have made recommendations based on sound nutritional science and not issues they dont have the authority or expertise to consider, said Missouri Sen.
