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January 13, 2005
New dietary guidelines stress healthy options
Jon Bonné wrote:
The federal government on Wednesday outlined how Americans should eat and exercise, backing a broad approach that stresses weight loss and a balanced, moderate diet.
There were few surprises in its new dietary guidelines: endorsements of nutritious foods, and limits on bad fats, cholesterol, sugar, salt and alcohol.
As never before, the guidelines stressed the need for Americans to manage their weight and get fit.
"Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and more than 50 percent of us Americans do not get the recommended amount of physical activity," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. "So the 2005 guidelines emphasize physical activity and calorie control more than ever before."
The guidelines, revised every five years, largely follow mainstream advice: eat a mix of foods, watch your fats and sugars. They stress the importance of calories in managing weight, directly tying weight loss to consuming fewer calories.
This is good news to nutritionists who have been fighting the popularity of fad diets, and bad news to dieters who have focused on cutting one nutrient — carbs or fats, for example — out of their daily routines.
Fruits and vegetables got a strong boost. Nine servings of produce are recommended for the average 2,000-calorie diet, the upper limit of prior recommendations. That translates to 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day.
Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman portrayed the guidelines as an "important tool" in fighting the nation's weight epidemic.
Also recommended:
Half of all grains consumed should be whole grains, at
least three servings per day.
Less than 10 percent of calories should come from
saturated fats, and fat should make up no more than 25
to 30 percent of total calories. No firm guideline was
set for trans fats, only a recommendation to keep
them "as low as possible."
Whole foods are generally preferred over processed:
fresh fruit, for example, rather than juice.
Protein sources should be lean and low-fat.
Foods should be fiber-rich and contain "little added
sugars or caloric sweeteners."
Recommended daily sodium intake was lowered to 2,300 mg
or less, about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Everyone should get a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes each
day of moderate exercise — brisk walking or bicycling,
for example. Losing weight will require 60 to 90
minutes of more intense daily exercise.
Posted by Lisa at January 13, 2005 09:31 AM
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