Updated February 01, 2011
Come on and gather around the table. But before you eat, you might want to digest the 7th and latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans -- advice the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) say will "promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity." All of which will keep us healthy and paying taxes for decades to come."The 2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a time when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in announcing the release of the guidelines. "The bottom line is that most Americans need to trim our waistlines to reduce the risk of developing diet-related chronic disease. Improving our eating habits is not only good for every individual and family, but also for our country."
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans include 23 key recommendations for the general population and six additional key recommendations for specific population groups, such as women who are pregnant.
Like Your Mom May Have Told You
Most of the dietary concepts presented in the government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines have been around for a while and will probably sound familiar to most people:
- Enjoy your food, but eat less of it;
- Avoid oversized portions;
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables;
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk;
- Increase your physical activity; and
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
- Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals - and choose the foods with lower numbers.
According to the USDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most sodium Americans consume is in the form of salt, and too much of it is bad for our health. Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, resulting in hypertension, which increases the risk of heart attack, kidney failure and stroke.
How Much Salt is Safe?
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults in general should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day - about one teaspoon. However, persons who are 51 and older and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease should limit their daily intake of sodium to only 1,500 mg.
Beware the Hidden Salt
Research conducted by the CDC shows that only about 5% of the sodium Americans consume comes from salt added during cooking and about 6% from salt added at the table. Instead, most of the sodium we eat comes in packaged, processed, store-bought and restaurant-prepared foods; thus the recommendation to "Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals - and choose the foods with lower numbers."
"Helping Americans incorporate these guidelines into their everyday lives is important to improving the overall health of the American people," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The new Dietary Guidelines provide concrete action steps to help people live healthier, more physically active and longer lives."
