2011: Download the New Dietary Guidelines

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have finally arrived. There was a scheduled release date that was aming for the last quarter of 2010, but due to certain cirucumstances it had to be postponed to 2011.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are issued every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Human Services (HHS). You could pretty much say that the guidelines represent the government’s official nutrition recommendations.

This is the 7th edition of the Dietary Guidelines with a stronger emphasis on reducing calorie, sodium and sugar intake, as well as increasing phsyical activity. Its purpose is to promote health and reduce chronic diseases and overweight. This emphasis is due to the fact that 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of  children in the U.S.   are overweight or obese.

We at Food Pyramid have gathered a few documents that you can download here below:

Press Release – This is the official pressrelease that was issued on January 31, 2011
Executive Summary – A document that summarizes the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
Selected Messages for Consumers – A one-page document of selected messages that the USDA finds important
Backgrounder – History and the process of developing the Dietary Guidelines
Questions and Answers – Covering a few questions and answers regarding the process, implementation and the content of the guidelines.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 – Full version

Make sure to read through the Dietary Guidelines and come back to share your opinions.