First New Government Diet Guidelines Since 1980

Exercise

With about 65 percent of Americans overweight or obese, the United States government has been motivated to make some major changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For the first time since 1980, the new guidelines are emphasizing weight loss, in addition to healthy eating and cardiovascular health. (The changes are also being used to update the Food Guide Pyramid.)

Some of the new recommendations include:

Balance calories between the amount you eat and the amount of energy you burn. For moderately active people between the ages of 31 and 50, recommended calories include 2,000 per day for women and 2,400-2,600 for men.

Thirty minutes of exercise is minimum. To maintain weight and prevent weight gain exercise 60 minutes; exercise 60 to 90 minutes a day to sustain weight loss.  Eat at least 4.5 cups of fruit and vegetables a day if you have a 2,000-calorie diet. Eat more or less depending on the calorie level.

Eat fiber-rich whole fruits and vegetables and whole grains often.  Eat or drink little added sugar or caloric sweeteners.  Limit salt intake to about one level teaspoon a day. 

Keep trans fat as low as possible. Do not exceed more than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fat and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day.

The food industry has also made some alterations, offering more products with whole-grains, fewer calories and smaller portion sizes.

Will These Guidelines Work?

Though these guidelines are proposed to help Americans slim down and get on the path to a healthier lifestyle, some medical professionals question whether these guidelines will make a difference.

One critic stated, "I don't think many people read them or understand them because the government puts very little muscle into marketing them."

Conversely, others feel these changes are a move in the right direction. One doctor stated, "These guidelines are a clear step ahead of where previous ones were. The issues on weight control are more specific than in the past, specifically with exercise and the suggestions on limiting added sugars and caloric sweeteners and things like soft drinks."

Either way, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 have been set, and the government can only hope the changes will result in a thinner, healthier population.

USA Today January 13, 2005. Link to article

New York Times January 13, 2005.  Link to article