ATWATER TO THE PRESENT - EVOLUTION OF NUTRITION EDUCATION

W. O. Atwater charted a new course for nutrition education 100 years a go by using the scientific process to develop dietary guidance to impr ove public health and well being. Each of the areas of research to whi ch Atwater gave leadership-nutrient requirements, food composition, fo od consumption, and consumer economics-are essential components in the development of dietary guidance. The emerging science of nutrition wa s translated into recommendations for a healthful diet by Caroline Hun t in 1986 in the first USDA food guide. Other familiar food guides wer e the ''Basic-7'' developed in the 1940's and the ''Basic-4'' from the 1950's. These early guides focused primarily on getting enough nutrie nts. By 1970, research was providing evidence of the role of excessive intakes of certain food components in the etiology of chronic disease . With the release of the ''Dietary Guidelines for Americans'' in 1980 , work began on a new food guide to address both concerns about nutrit ional adequacy and overconsumption. Research involved development of a new food guide and a graphic to illustrate it. Although the time sinc e the release of the new Food Guide Pyramid has been short, its wide a cceptance by the professional community, industry, and the media promi ses to make it an effective nutrition education tool.