Experts Say Lobbying Skewed the U.S. Dietary Guidelines

 By Markham Heid, Time, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Jan. 8, 2016 – Leading experts debate the role that science—and politics—played in the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines

On Thursday, the government released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. From school lunch menus and public nutrition programs to food labels and medical research grants, these standards will inform dozens of government health programs and policies. They’ll also play a part in determining the foods America produces, buys, and eats.

The guidelines are “grounded in the most current scientific evidence” and are meant to help people “make healthy food and beverage choices,” according to the government agencies that produced them. But a number of leading nutrition experts—including some tasked by the government to advise it on the latest research—say the guidelines are influenced too much by food manufacturers, food producers, and special interest groups. As a result, many experts say some of the government’s diet advice continues to promulgate out-of-date research from years past.

While many doctors and scientists have applauded some of the new guidelines—especially the recommendation to eat less added sugar—they also say some of the guidelines, which received mixed reviews, are out of step with the latest medical research, particularly when it comes to the consumption of red and processed meat.