The announcement of the newly revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans earlier this year was broadcast live over the Internet by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
But not much has really changed since the 1980 release of the first edition of the guidelines when it comes to just how to empower consumers on making these important behavior and consumption changes.
It seems the government is focused as it should be on tackling the obesity crisis head-on. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight and 75 cents of every health care dollar is spent on obesity-related chronic disease.
Vilsack's mantra is, "Calories in, calories out." And while all science supports his premise, the shortfall of this year's guidelines has to do with how to communicate this effectively.
The two main focuses of the 2010 guidelines are maintaining calorie balance and eating nutrient-dense foods and beverages.
There were few surprises in the revised guidelines, which historically have shied away from naming specific foods. One that did surprise many: to drink water instead of sugary drinks.
It was widely anticipated that the general recommendation of 2,300 milligrams for sodium intake would be reduced, which it was not. Not officially, that is.
The sodium recommendation was reduced to 1,500 milligrams for those aged 51 and older, African Americans and those who have hypertension, type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Add up all these folks and guess what? They make up half the adult population in the United States.
The average daily sodium intake among U.S. adults is about 3,400 milligrams.
The guidelines also say to significantly reduce the intake of foods containing added sugars and solid fats, as these contribute excess calories and few, if any, nutrients, as well as to lower the intake of refined grains with added sugars, solid fat and sodium.
The guidelines offer a shout-out to vitamin B12. A substantial proportion of individuals ages 50 years and older may have a reduced ability to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12. The 50+ crowd is encouraged to include foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, such as cereals, or to take dietary supplements.
But here's the problem — how do we get shoppers to read the guidelines and embrace them? We asked our Facebook fans what they thought should be included in the USDA's new guidelines.
Joan Clawson said every label should say "gluten-free" or not. Sheri Rufo Iodice wonders if the daily recommended physical activity time frames will be clarified or adjusted.
Over the past couple of years, we have learned a lot from social networking and apps and have seen how First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program has used both quite effectively.
But it does not seem like much effort is being put behind the implementation of the guidelines. They once again offer up the "what" but are missing the "how." And that's the real need. We know people are fat, and we know we are not eating as well as we should nor exercising as much as we should.
Just last month, the NPD Group released survey findings that said fewer people are interested in reading the nutrition facts label on food packages. We still have much work to do.
Phil Lempert is the editor of SupermarketGuru.com and reports on the latest trends on NBC's "Today" show, ABC's "The View" and local Chicago news programs. E-mail Phil@Supermarket Guru.com.
The government's recently revised Dietary Guidelines suggest that Americans choose water over sugary drinks. | afp/Getty imagesPAUL J.RICHARDS
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