President of PMA Cathy Burns Responds to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
NEWARK, DE - The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has released its new recommendations for food consumption. It is the first time the advisory committee, which updates its recommendations in a report every five years, has considered the environmental impact of food choices.
Also for the first time, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee singled out "added sugars" — those not naturally found in foods such as fruit and encouraging Americans to sharply cut back, according to USA today.
Rather than focus on the effects of individual ingredients, the report urges Americans to think about healthy dietary patterns, with more fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables and whole grains, and less red or processed meat. This type of diet is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the USDA’s report. Plant-based diets also use fewer resources, such as land, water and energy, and produce fewer greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change and are less likely than livestock to pollute the land, according to the report.
Cathy Burns, President of Produce Marketing Association (PMA) said in a statement, “PMA commends the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for their emphasis on fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the report. Key findings detailed in the report reinforce what we already know to be true; fruits and vegetables are integral parts to a healthy diet. Notably, the committee found that the consumption of fruits has remained low, but stable, for the U.S. population. Vegetable intake has declined, particularly among children and adolescents. Findings like this reinforce the need for marketing initiatives that make a connection to our healthy foods for young consumers – like the eat brighter!™ movement.”
Registered Dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix tells USA Today it makes sense to move meat from a "starring role" as the main dish to side dish or "accent."
"It's not only healthier, but it's more economical," says Taub-Dix.
According to USA Today, the committee's scientific report will be used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services to write the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scheduled to be released by the end of the year.
The federal government uses those guidelines to plan menus for the National School Lunch Program and when developing nutrition programs for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides food vouchers for low-income families.
Government food policies are important because diseases such as obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect poor people, says committee member Lucile Adams-Campbell, Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington.
The report notes that 49 million Americans, including 9 million children, live with "food insecurity," meaning they don't have a stable source of nutritious, affordable food.
Poor nutrition is a critical concern for Americans of all incomes, the report says.
“We thank the committee for their efforts and acknowledge their thoughtful recommendations for a healthful, nutritious diet,” Burns continued. “As part of our work in Issues Leadership – bringing our expertise and leadership to issues that affect members most – we’ll be submitting comments on behalf of the produce industry that support the commitment to fresh, affordable and nutritious options that are available to consumers of all demographics.”
The advisory committee also recommended that Americans get less than 10% of their daily calories from added sugar. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Americans today get about 16% of their daily calories from added sugars.
The new guidelines state that people following a 2,000-calorie diet should consume no more than 50 grams of added sugar a day. In response, the FDA has proposed changing food labels to list added sugars. The current label lists total sugar, a combination of added and natural sugar.
The report calls on the nation to shift toward preventing health problems rather than treating them after they develop, says committee member Barbara Millen, Registered Dietitian with Millennium Prevention in Massachusetts.
About half of American adults have one or more health problems linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, such as heart disease, obesity, cancer or type 2 diabetes, according to the report. About two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children are obese.
With any luck, these new guidelines will build even greater support for fresh and nutritious food options.
