HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 6th EDITION OF THE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS
Volume 76, Number 3 May/June 2005
Summary
The recently released sixth edition (2005) of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines), issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides science-based advice about diet and physical activity to promote health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases. Although the recommendations are targeted to healthy Americans two years of age and over, the needs of specific population groups are also addressed. The Guidelines serves as the foundation for all federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities.
First introduced in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines has been reviewed and updated every five years thereafter. As part of the process to revise the 2000 Dietary Guidelines, a 13-member Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted an evidence-based review of diet and health(www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005).
The new Dietary Guidelines includes 41 "key recommendations," 23 for the general public and 18 for specific population groups, under the following nine general topic areas: adequate nutrients within calorie needs; weight management; physical activity; food groups to encourage; fats; carbohydrates; sodium and potassium; alcoholic beverages; and food safety. The integrated messages encourage most Americans to eat fewer calories, be more physically active, and make wiser food choices.
Some highlights of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines include the following:
• For the first time in 25 years, the Guidelines recommends 3 cups of low fat or fat-free milk or equivalent milk products (e.g., cheese, yogurt) a day. The new Guidelines also encourages eating more fruits and vegetables (i.e., 2 cups of fruit and 21/2 cups of vegetables in a 2,000 calorie diet) and at least 3-ounces of whole grains per day in place of refined grains.
• The Guidelines not only recognizes dairy products as an important source of calcium, but also as nutrient dense foods associated with overall diet quality and nutrient adequacy. For the first time, the Guidelines recommends intake of alternatives within the milk food group (e.g., yogurt, small servings of milk more often, lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk products) as the primary strategy for individuals who are lactose intolerant.
• To achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, the Guidelines states that calories count and recommends balancing calories consumed from foods and beverages with calories expended. Adults and children are advised to not avoid milk and milk products because of concerns about weight gain.
• Although the new Guidelines recommends 30 to 90 minutes/day of physical activity, this total time can be broken up into short bouts over the course of the day.
• For the first time, the Guidelines offer two eating patterns for people to follow that exemplify the Dietary Guidelines’ advice – the USDA Food Guide and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines, the consumer-oriented brochure, Finding Your Way to a Healthier You, and implementation tools (e.g., DASH Eating Plan, Food Labeling, etc.) are available on-line for health professionals and consumers at: www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
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