Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Submitted RADM Penelope Slade-Sawyer
The 2010 dietary guidelines have 2 major themes. The first theme is balancing calories to maintain a healthy body weight focusing on increased consumption of nutrient-dense foods and beverages, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products. The new guidelines also recommend that Americans try to decrease consumption of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and added sugars.
The second major theme is striking a balance between consumption of calories and physical activity. Unfortunately, most Americans still fall short of the minimum daily recommended amount of exercise. The US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that children and adolescents age 6 and older average at least 60 minutes of aerobic activity each day, and that adults average 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week to achieve significant health benefits.
While many of the central themes in the guidelines have remained intact over time, 2010 witnessed a few noteworthy changes:
- For example, the new guidelines explicitly acknowledge America's obesity crisis and emphasize the importance of managing a healthy body weight throughout one's life;
- The new guidelines also offer sample eating patterns that provide increased flexibility for consumers, including vegetarian options;
- And for the first time, a key recommendation is included for seafood intake, with additional guidance for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding -- specifically, the guidelines now recommend that all Americans consume 8 ounces of seafood per week, as part of their protein selections; and
- We note that the recommendation for daily sodium intake for the general population remains at "less than 2,300 milligrams." However, many persons should further reduce their intake to 1,500 mg per day -- specifically those who are 51 and older -- and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. In fact, this 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the US population, including children, and the majority of adults.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans Summary and Resources
- The 2010 dietary guidelines offer 23 key recommendations for all Americans, and an additional 6 for special subpopulations. The primary focal points of the 2010 guidelines are (1) balancing calories to manage body weight, and (2) focusing on nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Nutrition advice to patients should stem from these recommendations and overarching themes.
- Enjoy your food, but eat less;
- Avoid oversized portions;
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables;
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk;
- Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals -- and choose the foods with lower amounts; and
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
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HHS, Office of Public Health and Science |