New Dietary Guidelines Need Dietetic Interpretation
2
practice applications BEYOND THE HEADLINES New Dietary Guidelines Need Dietetic Interpretation A ristotle was not a dietetics pro- fessional in 300 BC, but the Greek philosopher did have in- sight into the world of nutrition. “It is better to rise from life as from a ban- quet—neither thirsty nor drunken” (1). The US Departments of Agricul- ture and Health and Human Services couldn’t have said it better. It was earlier this year that the two government organizations released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The latest update since 2000, the new set of guidelines advocates a traditional health plan based on a balanced diet and daily exercise, something that never seems to go completely out of style. “I like that they say OK to calories: calories in, calories out, with diet and exercise,” says Marilyn Tanner, MHS, RD, study coordinator and pe- diatric dietitian at Washington Uni- versity School of Medicine, St Louis, MO. “Also, how nice is it to say ‘It’s based on scientific research,’ not ‘Oh, it’s the [carbohydrate] way,’ or ‘Oh, it’s the high-protein way,’ but to say that ‘This is the way’? It’s concise.” Despite the “moderation is key” theme of the guidelines, dietetics pro- fessionals, perhaps more than any- one, understand that nutrition is complex to clients. “The guidelines are general guidelines, which are great, and they emphasize the bal- anced variety and moderations that we always tend to go back to, but our key purpose is interpretation,” Tan- ner says. “For instance, what are the whole grains? What is a serving of 4 or 5 cups of fruits and vegetables?” “The Dietary Guidelines do a great job of reflecting current science and making recommendations,” says emeritus ADA President Susan H. Laramee, RD. “Now dietetics profes- sionals will give consumers the assis- tance they need in translating the guidelines into advice they can use every day” (2). ALL FOODS FIT Lona Sandon, MEd, RD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, has seen the impact of the new guidelines as posi- tive, but says that clients still need dietetics professionals to meet the nu- trition standard recommended in them. Clients still find the guidelines daunting. “We need to help them figure out how to fit the foods in because they haven’t been fitting three daily serv- ings of dairy. They see that and say ‘I need to drink three cups of milk a day,’ but using two slices of low-fat cheese on a sandwich is good,” she says. “So finding alternatives, that’s where we come in . . . we show them where they can sneak it in.” Sandon says that the guidelines are also helping clients remember that all foods can fit in a healthful diet, even those deemed as bad by the media. “Nutrition cycles just like fashion. We went through a cycle where fats were evil; now there are good fats and bad fats. Today we’re in that realm with carbohydrates. [Carbohydrates] are not evil, but it depends on which ones you choose. You can do chocolate chip cookies, or you can choose [some- thing] with lower calories,” she says. Dietetic professionals are there to show clients the difference. HARD SCIENCE Dietetics professionals are also find- ing that the guidelines not only sup- port the all foods fit philosophy, but also have the scientific base to back it up. “The beauty is that these are truly based on evidence-based research,” Tanner says. “The research is good— which we as [dietetics professionals] love—and now we can say that these recommendations are based on sci- ence. We can say they are based on the best of our knowledge as far as nutrition is concerned and its ramifi- cation on health.” The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee used evidence-based re- search to determine American dietary needs for the next 5 years. As a result, these new guidelines have a closer one-to-one correlation with America’s needs than the 2000 Dietary Guide- lines. For instance, according to San- don, the evidence-based process showed the committee three nutri- ents in which Americans were coming up short: potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The guidelines reflect these needs. “The guidelines before were evi- dence based, but now we have better evidence,” Sandon says. “We’ve kind of graded the evidence on how solid it is, and I don’t think they had that as well-established with the 2002 re- port.” Dietetics professionals have been able to refer clients to www.healthierus.gov, a US Department of Health and Hu- man Services Web site with links, re- sources, and information about obesity and nutrition. It also has the full 2005 Dietary Guidelines online. MODERATION IS KEY Dietetics professionals say that the evidence-based 2005 Dietary Guide- lines are helping them have clients understand the simple philosophy of moderation. In other words, cutting- edge science is proving what they have known all along. “The big focus has been on weight management and weight loss, but the most recent material really goes back to weight management. No food source is negated. Balance and mod- eration,” Tanner says. “At the same time it is the whole idea of calories in, calories out, but doing this the smart way, the [healthful] way.” Sandon adds, “We hope these guidelines will further lead us to balance and not to extremes.” This article was written by Damon Brown, a freelance writer in New Orleans, LA. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2005.07.016 1356 Journal of the AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION © 2005 by the American Dietetic Association
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Transcript of New Dietary Guidelines Need Dietetic Interpretation
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practice applicationsBEYOND THE HEADLINES
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ristotle was not a dietetics pro-fessional in 300 BC, but theGreek philosopher did have in-
ight into the world of nutrition. “It isetter to rise from life as from a ban-uet—neither thirsty nor drunken”1). The US Departments of Agricul-ure and Health and Human Servicesouldn’t have said it better.
It was earlier this year that the twoovernment organizations releasedhe Dietary Guidelines for Americans005. The latest update since 2000,he new set of guidelines advocates araditional health plan based on aalanced diet and daily exercise,omething that never seems to goompletely out of style.
“I like that they say OK to calories:alories in, calories out, with diet andxercise,” says Marilyn Tanner,HS, RD, study coordinator and pe-
iatric dietitian at Washington Uni-ersity School of Medicine, St Louis,O. “Also, how nice is it to say ‘It’s
ased on scientific research,’ not ‘Oh,t’s the [carbohydrate] way,’ or ‘Oh,t’s the high-protein way,’ but to sayhat ‘This is the way’? It’s concise.”
Despite the “moderation is key”heme of the guidelines, dietetics pro-essionals, perhaps more than any-ne, understand that nutrition isomplex to clients. “The guidelinesre general guidelines, which arereat, and they emphasize the bal-nced variety and moderations thate always tend to go back to, but ourey purpose is interpretation,” Tan-er says. “For instance, what are thehole grains? What is a serving of 4r 5 cups of fruits and vegetables?”“The Dietary Guidelines do a great
ob of reflecting current science andaking recommendations,” says
meritus ADA President Susan H.aramee, RD. “Now dietetics profes-ionals will give consumers the assis-ance they need in translating the
This article was written byDamon Brown, a freelancewriter in New Orleans, LA.
tdoi: 10.1016/j.jada.2005.07.016
356 Journal of the AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATI
uidelines into advice they can usevery day” (2).
LL FOODS FITona Sandon, MEd, RD, assistantrofessor of clinical nutrition at theniversity of Texas Southwesternedical Center, Dallas, has seen the
mpact of the new guidelines as posi-ive, but says that clients still needietetics professionals to meet the nu-rition standard recommended inhem. Clients still find the guidelinesaunting.“We need to help them figure out
ow to fit the foods in because theyaven’t been fitting three daily serv-
ngs of dairy. They see that and say ‘Ieed to drink three cups of milk aay,’ but using two slices of low-fatheese on a sandwich is good,” sheays. “So finding alternatives, that’shere we come in . . . we show themhere they can sneak it in.”Sandon says that the guidelines are
lso helping clients remember that alloods can fit in a healthful diet, evenhose deemed as bad by the media.
“Nutrition cycles just like fashion.e went through a cycle where fatsere evil; now there are good fats andad fats. Today we’re in that realmith carbohydrates. [Carbohydrates]re not evil, but it depends on whichnes you choose. You can do chocolatehip cookies, or you can choose [some-hing] with lower calories,” she says.ietetic professionals are there to
how clients the difference.
ARD SCIENCEietetics professionals are also find-
ng that the guidelines not only sup-ort the all foods fit philosophy, butlso have the scientific base to back itp. “The beauty is that these are trulyased on evidence-based research,”anner says. “The research is good—hich we as [dietetics professionals]
ove—and now we can say that theseecommendations are based on sci-nce. We can say they are based on
he best of our knowledge as far as eON © 2005
utrition is concerned and its ramifi-ation on health.”The Dietary Guidelines Advisory
ommittee used evidence-based re-earch to determine American dietaryeeds for the next 5 years. As a result,hese new guidelines have a closerne-to-one correlation with America’seeds than the 2000 Dietary Guide-
ines. For instance, according to San-on, the evidence-based processhowed the committee three nutri-nts in which Americans were comingp short: potassium, calcium, andagnesium. The guidelines reflect
hese needs.“The guidelines before were evi-
ence based, but now we have bettervidence,” Sandon says. “We’ve kindf graded the evidence on how solid its, and I don’t think they had that asell-established with the 2002 re-ort.”Dietetics professionals have been able
o refer clients to www.healthierus.gov,US Department of Health and Hu-an Services Web site with links, re-
ources, and information about obesitynd nutrition. It also has the full 2005ietary Guidelines online.
ODERATION IS KEYietetics professionals say that the
vidence-based 2005 Dietary Guide-ines are helping them have clientsnderstand the simple philosophy ofoderation. In other words, cutting-
dge science is proving what theyave known all along.“The big focus has been on weightanagement and weight loss, but theost recent material really goes back
o weight management. No foodource is negated. Balance and mod-ration,” Tanner says. “At the sameime it is the whole idea of calories in,alories out, but doing this the smartay, the [healthful] way.” Sandondds, “We hope these guidelines willurther lead us to balance and not to
xtremes.”by the American Dietetic Association
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES
eferences. World of Quotes: Aristotle. Avail-
able at: http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Aristotle/1/index.html.Accessed March 23, 2005.
. What Do 2005 Dietary GuidelinesMean for Americans? AmericanDietetic Association Press Release.January 12, 2005.
. US Department of Health and Hu-man Services. Dietary Guidelines forAmericans 2005. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/. Accessed July8, 2005.
Daily Highlights of the NewDietary Guidelines
● Fruit: For a 2,000-calorie diet,eat 2 cups of fruit.
● Calcium: The equivalent of 3cups of low-fat or fat-free milk (2cups for kids).
● Grains: At least 3 oz of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers,rice, or pasta.
● Exercise: Be physically active atleast 30 minutes most days of theweek (60 minutes for childrenand teens).
● Alcohol: Two drinks for men, onedrink for women. One drinkequals 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz
1
of wine, or 1 ⁄2 oz of spirits (3).M I S S I NA N I S S
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September 2005 ● Journal of the AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION 1357
