Jan. 31--The federal government is slated to unveil the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans today, but the question is: Will they say anything new?
Published every five years since 1980, the guidelines are based on the latest nutrition science available. An advisory committee of 13 scientists spent the past five years working on the report, examining questions such as whether eating out has any relationship on the weight of children and adults, and if fiber has any health benefits.
The scientific advisers acknowledged in their report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that eating healthy has become difficult in modern-day America.
"The committee made a really big point about how it was impossible for individuals to make healthy food choices, even if they wanted to, in the current food environment," said Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University and former member of the scientific committee that produces the guidelines.
The best example, she said, is large portions at restaurants.
"There's loads of research that shows that people confronted with large portions will eat more," Nestle said. "And if you ask them how many calories they consumed, they will consistently underestimate."
In the past, the dietary guidelines have focused on individuals and how they could make better food choices, not on the nation's food environment.
"This is a first, to have them acknowledge that," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "For the first time, the advisory committee said, 'Something's wrong here. We've been giving this advice for 30 years. Just giving it again isn't going to make any difference.' "
Instead, she said, the advisory group suggested addressing big-portion sizes, the marketing of unhealthy food, the lack of fruits and vegetables in low-income neighborhoods.
Because Americans now eat out so much -- in restaurants where most of the food on kids' menus is unhealthy and where soda has become the default drink instead of water -- it's difficult for Americans to choose wisely, Wootan said.
"If we don't change the food environment, healthy eating is going to continue being like swimming upstream," she said.
Yet it's hard to expect major change in the dietary guidelines, despite what some feel is a new urgency.
The scientific advisory committee submitted its report last June, but the actual dietary guidelines are written by staffers at the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And what's in the scientists' report may not make it into the final dietary guidelines.
Although two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese -- and despite calls for the government to encourage a vegetarian diet -- experts familiar with the process say the new guidelines are unlikely to be too bold.
"It's been a big secret," said Nestle. "I'm going to watch it on Monday, along with everyone else."
"I don't expect to see a whole lot of change," said Glenn Gaesser, director of Arizona State University's Healthy Lifestyles Research Center. "I think it'll still look pretty much like previous guidelines."
But because government staffers write the guidelines, the process is more open to lobbying from industries, such as the dairy, meat and restaurant industries, say the two nutrition experts.
For instance, though many scientists think the healthiest route would be for most Americans to adopt a vegetarian diet, they don't expect to see the government suggest that.
"In my own personal opinion, I think the science supports a plant-based diet," Gaesser said. "But no, we'll never see that [in the Dietary Guidelines]. Not in our lifetime. The lobbies are too strong."
What's likely to happen, says Wootan, is that the report won't recommend cutting back on certain foods -- such as meats or cheeses -- but on certain nutrients. That's confusing to consumers, she says, but creates less friction with food manufacturers and industry lobbyists.
"They focus on food when the message is positive, but they focus on nutrients when the message is negative," Wootan said. "So they will say, 'eat less sodium, sugars and fats' instead of saying, 'eat less pizza, hamburgers, cookies and soda.' "
Linda Shrieves can be reached at lshrieves@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5433.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Some industry observers think the new recommendations due out today won't be very different. Others point to hints at what could change:
--Hard choices: A New York University professor says a group of advisors told the USDA the deck is stacked against consumers being able to make good choices; she mentioned large restaurant portions as an example.
--Health vs. politics: Another food-industry observer says bad foods won't be called out by name but certain nutrients could be. That might confuse consumers rather than risk angering food manufacturers or lobbyists.
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