December 30, 2020 – The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) supports the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which were released yesterday jointly by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and the Health and Human Services (HHS). ASN notes the significant contributions of many ASN members which led to the Guidelines, including Federal staff from USDA and HHS and 16 of the 20 members of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, including past Presidents Richard Mattes, PhD, MPH, RD, Sharon Donovan, PhD, RD, and Teresa Davis, PhD. ASN was actively involved in the deliberations, providing oral and written comments throughout the process.
ASN members conduct crucial nutrition research that becomes the peer-reviewed scientific evidence to provide the fundamental basis for the Guidelines. “The Dietary Guidelines play an important role in advancing nutrition and health in the United States,” said ASN Chief Executive Officer John Courtney, PhD. “This authoritative advice guides Americans to adopt healthy dietary patterns at every life stage to promote health and reduce the risk for major chronic diseases.”
The Guidelines help all Americans make small changes and set achievable goals that fit their lifestyle, budget, and cultural preferences. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans form the cornerstone of all federal nutrition programs, providing science-based dietary information to emphasize prevention of chronic diseases, promotion of good health, and establish nutritional needs for people of all ages and life stages. For the first time, this edition of the DGAs incorporates a life-stage approach including pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months.
“ASN looks forward to working closely with USDA, HHS, and other stakeholders to form collaborative, multi-disciplinary partnerships that help implement the guidelines,” said Courtney. In January 2021, ASN will launch a three-part webinar series “Understanding and Using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”
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