NEW 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

I am pretty slow to get this out for you {my readers}, but in my defense it is a 113 page document {and I have 2 children to take care of.} If you have been watching the news and keeping up in the world, you may have noticed that the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been updated and released {on monday}. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are reviewed every five years and updated if necessary.

Here are the important peices that I thought I would share:
1. The daily recommendations for sodium have been decreased to less than 2300 mg and less than 1500 mg (just 1/2 teaspoon of salt) for individuals who are older than 51, African Americans, children, or those who have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease.
2. Pregnant women should still avoid tile fish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel but be sure to consume 8-12 ounces of ALL types of fish per week to get the necessary amounts of omega-3.
3. The most recent data shows that 72% of men in this country are overweight/obese and 64% of women in this country are overweight/obese!!
4. “Children are a particularly important focus because of the growing body of evidence documenting the vital role that optimal nutrition plays throughout the lifespan.”
5. There are 5 major topics highlighted in the document:
Balancing calories to Manage Weight, Foods and Food Components to Reduce, Foods and Nutrients to Increase, Building Healthy Eating Patterns, Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices.

As I have been reading other websites, blogs, and comments regarding the changes I have noticed that many people have negative feelings towards the lack change. Overall, not many changes were made. We know what we should be doing, and this is a good reminder of the importance of a healthy diet for all {even those who are at a healthy weight}. Some want the government to be more strict and ban certain foods. While I do support healthy laws, even applying a tax on unhealthy foods I don’t believe banning is the answer. Education and example are! Maya Angelou said, “When you get, give. When you learn, teach!” My favorite component of the document is bolded above. In my oppinion, feeding your children a nutritous diet {without expecting too much from them} is one of the most important things you can do as their parent. I am so happy that this was addressed in the guidelines!

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