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Sacramento, CA - January 17, 2005 - The United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services unveiled Wednesday a revised set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Among the recommendations was to increase consumption of under-consumed foods including low-fat and nonfat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The Guidelines also encouraged Americans to be more active while consuming less calories and making wiser food choices.

"What the guidelines are telling us is simple," said Bettye Nowlin, MPH, RD, Nutrition Consultant in Los Angeles and Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Eat less, exercise more and make wiser food choices. We should all be eating more fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, and whole grains. These nutrient dense foods are often overlooked, but they provide a powerhouse of nutrients that help our bodies achieve good health, fight disease and maintain body weight."

To help address America's expanding waistlines, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) had a special focus on calories. The Dietary Guidelines provide advice on how many servings from each of the five food groups Americans should be eating depending on how many calories they consume each day. For example, the Guidelines suggest that with a 2,000 - calorie intake Americans should consume two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables per day. In general, half of all grains consumed should come from whole grain. The DGAC also increased the recommended daily servings of low-fat and nonfat dairy products to three cups per day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

For the first time the new Dietary Guidelines Report provides people with specific tips to apply the advice to their individual tastes and nutritional needs. Calorie charts (1,000 to 3,200 calories) were developed for a range of nutrition needs and activity levels. The report also contains recommendations for special circumstances; for example, the report recommends that for those sensitive to lactose, "the most reliable and easiest way to derive the health benefits associated with dairy consumption is to choose alternatives within the dairy foods group," such as lactose-free milk, hard/aged cheeses or yogurt.

According to the Guidelines, eating more delicious dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help Americans meet their nutrient needs, manage a healthy weight, prevent chronic disease and still incorporate their favorite foods. The revision to the Dietary Guidelines will be followed by an updating of the Food Guide System, currently known as the Food Guide Pyramid. This system is currently under review and a revised or new graphic is expected to be released sometime this spring.

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Dairy Council of California develops nutrition education programs that are easy to use and meet the unique needs of students at different grade levels. Making healthy food choices from all food groups and including physical activity are the foundation for life long health and wellness. Our programs are scientifically sound and tested to ensure behavior change. Healthy Eating Made Easier.
 
* The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a committee of experts in their fields established every five years by the USDA and HHS to review the latest science and advise the government on revisions to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, was tasked with using an evidence-based approach to develop recommendations to the HHS that include foods known to reduce the nation's major diet-related health problems

Source: Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005

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