What's At Stake:
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) applauds the new “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.” Released on January 12, 2005, the “Guidelines” has been published jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) every five years since 1980.
The new "Guidelines” is the most health-oriented ever. The guidelines provide stronger recommendations for consuming less sodium and trans fat and more whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Importantly, the guidelines apply to the federal school lunch and breakfast programs. Under the “Guidelines,” schools will need to offer less-salty foods and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. However the guidelines will not apply to foods sold outside of school meals through vending machines, cafeteria snack lines, fundraisers, and school stores.
As good as the “Dietary Guidelines” is, it will do little to improve the public's health without vigorous efforts to improve nutrition policy and the food environment. To support the guidelines' healthy-weight goals, CSPI calls on Congress to provide the Centers for Disease Control with greatly increased funding for programs that promote nutrition and activity and pass laws requiring calorie labeling on menus at chain restaurants, improving school foods, and shielding children from junk-food marketing.
Because industry has done little voluntarily to implement past “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” government regulatory agencies need to take such actions as limiting the salt content of processed foods, eliminating the use of partially hydrogenated oils, and lowering the current limits on fat in processed meats.
Visit http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/index.html for more information on nutrition policy.
Visit http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/ to review the “Guidelines”.
Posted by sciencegrrl at January 15, 2005 10:35 AM