- José Andrés, Culinary Innovator, Educator, Humanitarian, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (the Guidelines) provides advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. Every five years the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) work together to review the current body of nutrition science and update the Guidelines. To ensure the Guidelines continues to meet the health needs of all, we who support the development process earnestly ask for participation and feedback from those in the fields of nutrition and public health, and – just as importantly – the public at large.
The Dietary Guidelines exists for the benefit of everyone. It provides a customizable framework for healthy eating that can be tailored and adapted to meet the personal, cultural, and traditional preferences of all people. To ensure that the Guidelines meet this objective, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee examines the relationship between diet and health across all life stages and does so through an equity lens: an approach to the evidence, scientific literature, and data that considers factors such as socioeconomic position, race, ethnicity, and their relationships to eating and nutrition.
This is why public participation is critical. Public comments help inform the Committee’s work in creating recommendations that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse nation and reflect the variety in its customs and practices. Participation by the public is an opportunity to foster the Committee’s understanding of a vast array of lived experiences and perspectives around nutrition – an understanding that helps HHS and USDA to develop Guidelines that respond to the needs of that same public.
My request to the public is simple: participate. This is a call-out to everyone – professionals working in the fields of nutrition, food, health, policymakers, the general public – everyone. Participation and your perspectives matter. What’s more, there are many ways to get involved.
If you’re new to the Dietary Guidelines process and its development, concepts of nutrition science, or issues involving hunger, reading-up on each may be a good starting point. A few resources to consider include:
Throughout the development of the Dietary Guidelines, we strive to meet the most rigorous of scientific standards and do so in a transparent and accessible way. Inviting the public to observe and participate in open meetings puts those principles into practice and provides an additional check on that process. Last month, HHS and USDA announced that the Committee gathers for its third meeting on September 12-13, 2023. The meeting will be open to the public via live webcast. Details for viewing the livestream can be found at DietaryGuidelines.gov. I encourage you to attend.
Additionally, during the third meeting the Committee will hear oral comments (of up to two minutes each) from the public. The opportunity to request to present oral comments will open on Thursday, August 10 at 10:00 am ET at DietaryGuidelines.gov. Requests should include a written outline or a summary of the intended oral comment, no more than 400 words in length. Space is limited, so requests will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals confirmed to provide oral comments to the Committee will have an option to submit a pre-recorded video to be played on September 12 or present live via webinar. More information will be provided in the confirmation email. If you are unable to provide oral comments, the opportunity to submit written comments to the Committee is ongoing and will remain open until the Committee completes its work.
And finally, please help spread the word by sharing your experiences with others and encourage them to become familiar with concepts related to nutrition, food, and hunger – and to take part in the Dietary Guidelines development process.
The Dietary Guidelines need to hear from everyone. So, flex that “civic muscle”, get involved, and share what you know and your own lived experiences. What you contribute furthers the mission of improving nutrition for all and helps support those things that Chef Andrés mentions in his quote – not least of which include dignity, empathy, community, nourishment, and resilience.
Meanwhile, eat well, and thank you!
Yours in health,
Paul
Paul Reed, MD
Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
Director, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
In Officio Salutis — In the Service of Health
