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Mixed reactions for new dietary guidelines
by : Thomas Blythe
Date : Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT
The 2005 dietary guidelines issued by the federal government on Wednesday received mixed reactions as many nutrition experts argued that without an aggressive education campaign and regulation of the food industry, the 2005 guidelines will have little or no effect on the general public. lt;br / gt;
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Experts also said that the public largely ignore current dietary guidelines, and that people will turn a blind eye to the new ones too, unless the government takes more aggressive action to promote or even enforce them. lt;br / gt;
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Experts said authorities need to invest in a major education campaign that can compete with the billions of dollars spent by companies on junk food advertising. lt;br / gt;
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While others advocate additional legislation that would include subsidizing healthy foods, regulating food advertising aimed at children, requiring restaurants to label the calorie content of their foods and limiting salt and trans-fat levels. lt;br / gt;
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The 2005 dietary guidelines, prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, have stressed more on physical activity and calorie control. So to say, it has emphasized more on calories in managing weight, directly tying weight loss to consuming fewer calories. lt;br / gt;
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The issuing authority said the guidelines were drafted keeping in mind that two-thirds of Americans are over-weight or obese and more than 50 per cent do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. So it was necessary for us to include nutritious foods, and drop bad fats, cholesterol, sugar, salt and alcohol. lt;br / gt;
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The 2005 dietary guidelines, revised every five years, recommended intake of more fruits and vegetables. At least nine servings of produce are recommended for the average 2,000-calorie diet, the upper limit of prior recommendations. That translates to 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day. lt;br / gt;
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So also, it recommended half of all grains consumed should be whole grains, at least three servings per day, and less than 10 per cent of calories should come from saturated fats, and fat should make up no more than 25 to 30 per cent of total calories. It was also mentioned in the guidelines that whole foods should be generally preferred over processed: fresh fruit, for example, rather than juice, and foods should be fiber-rich and contain little added sugars or caloric sweeteners. The guidelines also lowered daily sodium intake to 2,300 mg or less, about 1 teaspoon of salt. More importantly, the guidelines said that everyone should get a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes each day of moderate exercise — brisk walking or bicycling. lt;br / gt;
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