The latest dietary guidelines from the US federal government are out there, and there are some surprising omissions. While the guidelines continue to emphasize the value of a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables, they do not recommend American men to cut back substantially on alcohol – contrary to the advice of outside experts commissioned by the government earlier this year.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and are intended to reflect the current scientific consensus on nutrition. While clearly just recommendations, they shape federal policies and programs focused on nutrition, such as school meals, and also affect the food and restaurant industry in general.
As part of the update process, the government is bringing together a panel of outside advisers to discuss the latest nutritional research and propose any changes. Their draft report was in July released. Among other things, the panel called for a clear change in the amount of alcohol that men should drink. They asked for the guidelines to recommend that men drink no more than one alcoholic drink per day on drinking days, rather than the previous limit of two drinks per day. Women, as before, would be advised to stick to one drink a day as well. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to have one drink every day, just that you should limit yourself to one on the days you drink (which hopefully isn’t every day).
G / O Media can receive a commission
This change was intended to acknowledge the growing research showing that even light alcohol use is not as safe as it is commonly believed, and to encourage Americans to drink less when possible, the report’s authors said at the time. . Alcohol contributes to fatal car accidents, increases the risk of cancer, liver and heart disease, and can affect cognition.
The final version of the guidelines, released Tuesday, also include other changes suggested by the panel, such as touting the nutritional benefits of breastfeeding and recommending pregnant women to eat seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury. They also include language stating that it “supports evidence that intake of added sugars and alcoholic drinks is restricted to promote health and prevent disease.” But they explicitly endorse the recommended changes to reduce alcohol consumption and added sugars, arguing that the “evidence assessed since the 2015-2020 edition does not support quantitative changes at this time.”
The diet guidelines are the result of a collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Human and Health Services. Throughout the now-ending Trump administration, both federal agencies have been accused of eroding by outside scientists and lawmakers science-based policy like silence and punish officials who disagreed with the White House. In any case, some nutritionists are not too happy with the language that has now been taken from the dietary guidelines.
“Despite repeated claims that the guidelines are science-based, the Trump agencies ignored the recommendation of the scientific committee they had appointed and instead reverted to the recommendation of the previous guidelines,” said Marion Nestle, a nutrition scientist and a nutritionist. well-known author, told the New York Times.
Just because the new guidelines don’t tell us to limit our booze doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cut back a bit. After all, a large global study in 2018 concluded that there is one no safe level of alcohol consumption. At least a quarter of American adults engaged in binge drinking last year, while 14 million Americans are believed to have alcohol use disorder. In total, alcohol is estimated to kill about 95,000 Americans a year, making it the second deadliest drug after tobacco.