What's
the Best Diet for Kids?
Where can parents find practical, scientifically
sound nutrition advice?
"The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide
the best science-based advice available regarding what
to eat to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic
diet-related disease," said Dr. Theresa Nicklas,
a CNRC researcher and Baylor College of Medicine professor
of pediatrics.
 Nicklas
was one of 13 scientists who recently served on the
2005 Dietary Guidelines Committee. Convened by the
U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and
Human Services (HHS), the Committee was tasked with
reviewing and updating the 2000 Dietary Guidelines.
Their recommendations, submitted in October 2004,
will form the foundation of
the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines scheduled for
release early next year.
"A new committee of experts is
convened every five years to review and update the
guidelines to ensure they remain relevant and reflect
the most up-to-date information available on the role
of diet in health," Nicklas
said. CNRC director, Dr. Dennis Bier, served
on the 1990 Dietary Guidelines Committee.
Reviewing the guidelines on a regular basis also
ensures that they address current nutritional challenges.
"Our recommendations specifically advise eating
more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat
milk products because recent research shows that these
health-promoting foods are poorly represented in the
American diet," Nicklas said.
The committee also tackled the fad-diet craze, emphasizing
that no matter the source -- whether carbohydrate,
fat or protein -- calories do count when it comes to
weight management.
"The best way to attain and maintain a healthy
weight is to stay within your energy needs by choosing
foods wisely from within all food groups and to be
physically active at least 30 minutes every day," she
said.
They also evaluated the latest science regarding
the effect of different types of fats on health.
"We
recommend that Americans limit trans fats,
which increase cardiovascular disease risk, to one
percent or less of total calories and that most adults
consume at least two servings of fish high in omega-3
fatty acids per week," she said. Omega-3 fatty
acids, which have been shown to protect the heart,
are also found in soybeans, canola, flaxseeds, and
walnuts.
In addition to providing consumers with sound and
current dietary guidance, the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans form basis for national health objectives,
federal nutrition policies, nutrition-monitoring surveys,
nutrition research, and food labeling standards. The
new guidelines will also be reflected in the new Food
Guide Pyramid, which is currently being updated
by the USDA.
"The Dietary Guidelines continue
to be the best science-based advice available for Americans
over the age of 2 regarding what and how to eat for
health," Nicklas
said.
[Editor's Note:]
Useful Tools:
Finding
Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the 2005 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, a consumer-oriented brochure
about the new Dietary Guidelines (pdf)
To read about the science behind the Committee's
recommendations or read the Committee's report, which
explores their recommendations in detail, see http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/ To learn about proposed changes to the Food Guide
Pyramid, see http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyramid-update/
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