The new US dietary guidelines are distorted by politics and tainted by the influence of the meat and dairy industries — but they may still improve Americans’ health because they reverse previous nutrition standards that were themselves politicized and unduly influenced by the sugar industry.
The biggest change is a clear-cut recommendation to avoid added sugar and junk food. While nutrition is a contentious field, there’s a rare consensus that eating too much sugar is harmful to our health.
And, in another tectonic shift, it’s now recommended that Americans eat “full-fat” dairy products instead of fat-free versions. That recommendation is more controversial, but it’s consistent with the results of recent studies showing that full-fat dairy may benefit some people by cutting the risk of diabetes and helping with weight control.
