Dietary Guidelines

Mr. 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