Join The Nutrition Coalition for a final push on the 2020-2025 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due to be released by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) look likely to remain largely the same. At this point, we believe the best thing we can do is to try to LIMIT the DGA’s impact by making it clear to everyone that these Guidelines were not scoped to include the treatment of metabolic diseases.

We are calling upon the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (USDA-HHS), the agencies that jointly oversee the DGA, to stamp a warning label on the 2020-2025 DGA so that people with metabolic disease will know the DGA is not for them. In fact, the scientists in charge of this iteration of the DGA did not look at the scientific literature on disease remission, not even on obesity (weight loss).

• The Guidelines are distributed by USDA-HHS as if this policy applied to all Americans, which it does not. There needs to be more transparency around this policy so that people can make better decisions about their dietary choices.

• A warning label on the DGA would provide better information to healthcare professionals, who often prescribe the Guidelines as if these recommendations could help with weight loss and the treatment of other chronic disease —which they don’t.

• It is important for the public health community to understand that the DGA has always been limited in scope to the prevention of diseases, not the treatment of them. Understanding this limitation may help lead to policy change.

To repeat: the Dietary Guidelines’ expert committee did not look at scientific studies on disease treatment. It did not look at studies on disease remission. It excluded all studies on weight loss.

The Guidelines have far-reaching influence. Prescribed by many doctors and dieticians as well as guiding the USDA’s feeding assistance programs, the policy is possibly the most powerful lever on America’s ideas about healthy eating. The current Guidelines are on track to recommend eating 6 serving of grains per day, up to 10% of calories as sugar (altogether more than 50% of calories as carbohydrates), and less red and processed meats (for health, not environmental reasons).

Because the guidelines are released only once every five years, it’s critical that the USDA-HHS include a prominent warning label on the 2020-2025 DGA to make clear to the public that these recommendations are “For Healthy Americans Only” and are not applicable to the 60% of Americans with diet-related, chronic diseases.

We encourage you join us in tweeting on Thursday, December 17. Below we have included draft posts that you can customize.

We also ask you to consider contacting your member of Congress by visiting: https://www.nutritioncoalition.us/take-action

• WHO: ALL nutrition groups and individuals who want to join us in helping to LIMIT the DGA’s impact by making it clear to everyone that these Guidelines were not scoped to include the treatment of metabolic diseases.

• WHAT: Use hashtag: #LabeltheDGA

• TAG: @USDA @HHSGov @HouseAgDems @HouseAgGOP @SenateAgGOP @SenateAg

• WHEN: Thursday, December 17 beginning at 11:00 am EST through 3:00 pm EST

• WHY: To show overwhelming and diverse support for putting a warning label on the Guidelines by flooding Twitter feeds

The #DietaryGuidelines are meant for prevention of disease ONLY, not for the treatment of any chronic disease, not even obesity. US adult obesity rate is now >42%. How can Guidelines be effective if they ignore most Americans? #LabelTheDGA to warn the public! [Click to tweet]

@HouseAgDems @HouseAgGOP #DietaryGuidelines (DGA) hasn’t been scoped to address treatment for 60% of Americans w/1 or more chronic, diet-related diseases. Urge @USDA @HHSgov: put a warning label on DGA to ensure that people w/these diseases know Guidelines do not apply to them. [Click to tweet]

USDA-HHS should put A Warning Label on 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines “For Healthy Americans Only.” Guidelines are scoped for prevention only--not for 60% of people already diagnosed w/diet-related, chronic diseases. #LabeltheDGA @HouseAgDems @HouseAgGOP @SenateAgGOP @SenateAg [Click to tweet]

#LabelTheDGA so the public knows that US Dietary Guidelines is for healthy Americans only. Expert panel didn’t review the science on treatment of diet-related diseases, not even weight loss. @USDA @HHSGov @HouseAgDems @HouseAgGOP @SenateAgGOP @SenateAg [Click to tweet]

@USDA @HHSGov the #DietaryGuidelines are scoped for healthy people only. #LabelTheDGA so that people with obesity, diabetes, hypertension etc. understand the Guidelines has not looked at the science on treatment and therefore is not meant for them. [Click to tweet]


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