Dietary guidelines for Americans recommendations for the year 2000

Under federal law, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are to be published by the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (DHHS) every five years. This document serves both departments as a nutriti on education tool for the general public and serves as a policy statement w ith which all other federal policy to the general public must be consistent . An external, expert advisory panel was selected to review the edition of the guidelines. The committee's report offers specific language for each gu ideline, explanatory text for the guidelines booklet, and the scientific ra tionale behind the changes they recommended. The overriding issue is the gr owing problem of obesity in the US. The committee is likely to recommend mo re emphasis on physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight. Ar the s ame time, the committee recommended changes in other guidelines aimed at he lping the consumer avoid a positive energy balance. It also placed consider able emphasis on making the guidelines easy for consumers to implement. The re will be a brief public comment period prior to the finalisation and rele ase of the fifth edition of the guidelines.