New Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (2011 Release)

On Jan. 31, 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2010 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The 112-page document contains recommendations that are radically different than the recommendations of previous years. First published in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is updated and revised every five years. While the revised editions have been remarkably consistent, the 2010 edition explains a somewhat dramatic departure from the norm.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 actively recognizes that a one-size-fits-all Daily Recommended Intake (RDI) diet does not best serve the health and welfare of all Americans. The document strongly advises that certain basic factors be taken into account when making daily food choices, such as age, ethnicity, and risk factor for diet-related chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

The Dietary Guidelines also call for significant, specific reductions in food components like salt, added sugars, processed flour, solid fats, and saturated fats according to varying factors. The most notable of these specified restrictions is for sodium (salt) intake for persons who are age 51 or older; African American; or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease from the regular 2,300mg to 1,500mg.

The Guidelines further change course by not only listing foods that should be encouraged, but also listing foods that should be reduced, such as grain-based deserts, regular cheese, dairy deserts, and even chicken dishes. The USDA supplies multiple pie-charts that show where the average American is going wrong with their diets.

Probably the most attention-grabbing element of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 is the continuous listings of statistics involving diet-related chronic illnesses. According to the document, 72 percent of men and 64 percent of women in the United States are overweight or obese, 37 percent of the population has cardiovascular disease, and 35 percent of the adult population suffers from pre-diabetes.

The most significant change, however, is in the readability of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 versus previous editions, which were aimed at the medical and educational communities. While this document is still lengthy and involved, it is put together in a format and language that makes it easier for the average American to understand.

To read, print, or download the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 go to DietaryGuidelines.gov