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4: SEP 16

Assigned Reading and Writing

• Nestle, Marion. Chapter 2, Politics Versus Science -- opposing the food pyramind, 1991-1992 (pp. 51-66).
• US Dietary Guidelines (150) (browse with worksheet questions in mind).
• The Lancet, Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat
• American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Note: The remainder of this unit consists of three chapters on nutrition, which we will time to the end of the next three units.
• Self-Assessment of Diet in Relation to USDGs (Points, ungraded, analytic, short writing)

Some terms to track from today's class

• dietary transition
• healthy eating patterns
• nutrient dense
• Permissive guidance "health intake of added sugars"
• Regulatory capture

Nestle, "Chapter 2: Politics Versus Science -- opposing the food pyramind, 1991-1992"

• Tells the story of the blocked printing of the 1991 Eating Right Pyramid. Lots of drama and intrigue!
• Meat and Dairy did not appreciate being "narrowed" in the pyramid.
• She highlights the USDA mandate (over HEW) after 1977 to produce nutrition information, the tension between that agency and then "HEW" (health education and welfare), (now DHHS) where the Surgeon General was.

• 53: specific law in 1988 preventing DHHS from issuing nutritional advice that might adversely affect agricultural interests.

• 54-55: documents the development of the 1988 pyramid. Clearly a multi-year process with lots of professional review.

• p. 55. Specific design process for the pyramid. Compare other countries approaches. [1]. Compare to current US Dietary Guidelines for 2015-2020. [2] [3]

• the controversy over the pyramid was mostly about the diminished size of the meat group and it's proximity to the sugar, fats, and oils. If you look at the previous chapter's image of the "Basic Four" design, meat and dairy were "in front" and "on top" of the image. The ensuing controversy had partly to do with gov't officials dodging responsibility for the nutritionists work.

USDGs, Lancet, and AmAcad of Nutrition

• US Dietary Guidelines -- Paging through the guidelines, what new ways of representing health eating patterns do you find that supplement our nutrition study?

• Note letter from both USDA and HHS
• more use of phrase "healthy eating pattern" "nutrient dense"
• xv: Guidelines at a glance
• Lots of survey data on diet in the population.
• p. 18: Table 1-1: note classification of protein foods (!) protein is still the master macronutrient in our cultural perception of dietetics. also p. 51
• p. 28: Why start a section on "Added Sugars" with a subheading "Healthy Intake"? -- it's a permissive guide.

• The Lancet -- "Carcinogenicity of Consumption of Red and Processed Meat"

• Major conclusions, evidence, authoritativeness

• curing, frying, grilling and barbequing produce carcinogenic chemical
• 17% increase risk of colon cancer at 100/grams of red meat and 18% for 50 grams of processed meats.

• Note mechanistic evidence for red meat strong, for processed meat moderate.
• What are the specific thresholds and risk factors by consumption?

• Many hundreds of studies across many countries. less certainty about the red meat conclusion from epidemiological data, though mechanistic evidence seemed stronger for red meat. Note studies on second page. More on HAA and PHA, which are chemicals formed at high heats that we often cook meat.

• American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Position on Vegetarian Diets

• What is the overall assessment of the Academy of the healthiness vegetarian and vegan diets?

• bio availablity of iron lower for vegs, but not all bad. No longer higher DRI for iron due to new evidence

• What are the major recommendations for dietary supplementation or monitoring?

• Vit D, B12, maybe calcium, (but these are common supplements for non-vegs as well)

• To what degree do low and no-meat diets reduce your risk of Western Dietary Diseases? 12ff: long list of health benefits. Please read through this part especially.

• Note: effect of both the Lancet and Academy articles: most of benefits from veg diet available to low-meat diet, most of hazards of high meat diet concentrated on red & processed meat.

Self-Assessment of USDGs, either in relation to your diet or generally. (Points, ungraded, analytic, short writing)

• Please write a paragraph (of no more than 500 words) in answer to the ONE of the following questions by September September 18, 2020, 11:59pm. Include your word count in your answer.

• 1. After reading through the USDGs (and Lancet article), identify aspects of your diet as they relate to both norms and recommendations. Are you a typical American eater, as defined by the USDGs? If not, where do you differ from the norms?

• 2. After reading through the USDGs (and Lancet article), identify norming data that you think documents some of the Americans' most unhealthy eating habits. Is there evidence of improvement in any areas?

• • Follow this link to a google form when you are ready to post.