U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Release New Dietary Guidelines

Fresh vegetables...

Last Thursday, the government released its new guidelines to promote healthier eating for healthier lives. The revised Dietary Guidelines, which are required by law to be updated every five years share no real surprises: limit sugar, saturated fat and salt and increase consumption of vegetables and whole grains. The focus on dietary cholesterol has been removed, so eggs can be enjoyed guilt-free as part of a healthy diet. For many, what is most notable in the 2015 - 2020 guidelines is not what is included, but what is missing. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN) released a statement: "The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines) released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, do not acknowledge the totality of evidence available to make recommendations intended to reduce consumption of foods known to cause cancer." (January 7, 2015 ACSCAN) A report of this evidence came earlier last year when the International Agency on Research for Cancer classified processed meats as a carcinogen and red meat as a probably carcinogen.  The Dietary

and berries contribute to healthy eating patterns.

Guidelines mention lower intakes of meats and processed meats as being identified as part of healthy eating patterns, but do not actually recommend limiting consumption of these meats.  This ignores the recommendations made by the key experts on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, who released a report early last year that provided evidence-based conclusions and explicitly recommended reduced consumption of red and processed meat, based in part on evidence that consumption of these foods increases the risk of colorectal cancer. "By omitting specific diet recommendations, such as eating less red and processed meat, these guidelines miss a critical and significant opportunity to reduce suffering and death from cancer,” said Dr. Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer of the American Cancer Society (January 7, 2015 ACSCAN).

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's report also drew connections between diet and sustainability of natural resources. By making healthier food choices one can also have a positive impact on the environment since eating less red meat and buying fresh foods locally have a lower net impact on the planet. Unfortunately, any references to diet and the environment do not appear in the Dietary Guidelines as the USDA and USDHHS responded in a Statement last October that the Guidelines are not the appropriate vehicle to address sustainability.  What a missed opportunity.

I know that my daily choices, be it diet, work, or recreation, have direct impacts to the health and future of the planet, and until this concept is as transparent as breathing is to living, the more times the connections of our day to day activities and sustainability are made the better.