Our Abusive Relationship With the USDA

by: Jill Richardson

Sun Feb 06, 2011 at 21:08:15 PM PST

That seems to be pretty similar to the American people's relationship with the USDA. On one hand, they tell us to eat fruits and vegetables. Lots of fruits and vegetables. Five a day! Now they've upped the ante, and they are telling us "half your plate" should be fruits and vegetables. But every other policy pushes us away from fruits and vegetables. Then we get yelled at for being fat and for rising health care costs (much of which are due to diet-related chronic illness). Let me explain.

CSPI on Dietary Guidelines

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Jun 24, 2010 at 00:25:29 AM PDT

Our take is - and was in 2005 too - that what the government does to help Americans eat according to the guidelines is more important than the guidelines document itself. It's perfectly good advice but we're eating no where close to it as a population. But hopefully the Dietary Guidelines for Americans document itself (this is just the advisory committee report) will focus more on food than nutrients, like you say.  Remember when the food pyramid had actual FOOD on it?

That said, changing the Daily Value for sodium to 1500 mg might be likely to spur some reforumulation to reduce salt in packaged foods--and will give consumers better context when they read nutrition facts labels. But still, we want government nutrition policy oriented around that recommendation.

Good point. What good are nutrition recommendations if everything else in food & ag policy leads Americans to eat foods that make them sick?

Jeff also asked that I link to CSPI's Nutrition Policy Directory Margo Wootan's statement, which you can read at the link.

Win a Free Book: The "Eat Less" Contest

by: Jill Richardson

Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 21:19:30 PM PDT

This is something that Marion Nestle has said for years that the government doesn't do. They like to say "choose wisely" instead of telling you to eat less of a specific food or even avoid a food altogether. But in the past, when the Dietary Guidelines came out, we didn't have a First Lady in the White House who was specifically working to resolve our nation's diet-related health problems. So... will they tell us to eat less now? Of anything?

At first glance, no. For example:

Children and adults are also encouraged to eat a healthy breakfast and to choose nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods whenever they snack.

This could be said in a much clearer way. For example "Quit eating chips and cookies!" Or "Eat fewer French fries!" But instead they tell us to choose wisely.

I haven't read the entire document, nor have I looked for or found any examples of the government telling us to eat less. So here's the contest. I'll mail a free book about food (I'm not sure which one yet but I can give the winner some choices and let them pick) to whoever can find a clear example in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans of the government saying to "EAT LESS" of a specific food or food group. (If they say to eat less of a nutrient - like sodium - that doesn't count.)

Corporate Influence & the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

by: Jill Richardson

Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 21:02:31 PM PDT