Dietary Guidelines

Agriculture Department Center for Nutrition Policy Director Eric Hentges spoke about new dietary guidelines issued during the week by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services Departments. The guidelines are issued every 5 years, as mandated by Congress. They make recommendations for the nation as a whole and affect school lunch programs and nutrition programs for the poor. The recommendations this week urge more consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains and beans, and low-fat dairy products. They are quite different from popular low-carbohydrate diets. He responded to telephone calls, faxes, and electronic mail from viewers.

Ms. Modaro spoke by telephone about the vending machine association starting its own campaign against obesity - using such things as color-coded stickers on candy bars and other food items to indicate how nutritious they are. Separately some schools are substituting “healthier” items in vending machines for sugary candy bars. close