We have known the answer to this for some time now, we just decided not to tell anyone.
Did you ever wonder who really is behind the Dietary Guidelines for Americans? Who decides what is best for us to eat? What is healthy to eat and what is not healthy to eat? How much much we should eat of certain things?
I always thought it was based on science and what was best for our health. Boy, was I wrong!
Here is a great little history lesson by Dr. Michael Greger. In the video below, he explains:
The story behind the first U.S. dietary guidelines explains why to this day the decades of science supporting a more plant-based diet have yet to fully translate into public policy.
Here is a quick summary of what you’ll learn:
- In January 1977, Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released by the Senate Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, chaired by George McGovern. Here are some excerpts from a press conference of that release:
“The diet of the American people has become increasingly rich–rich in meat and other sources of saturated fat and cholesterol and sugar. Most all of the health problems underlying the leading causes of death in the United States could be modified by improvements in diet.” (hmmm. That sounds like the same thing we’re worried about today.)
The guidelines recommended a more plant-based diet – reducing meat and dairy intake.
- However, the meat, milk and egg producers were not happy with these new guidelines.
- By the end of the year (1977), the dietary guidelines were changed (not to support better health, but to support mainly the concerns of the meat, egg and milk industry).
- Furthermore, the Senate Committee that made the recommendations was disbanded.
That’s some crazy stuff, isn’t it? Today, we adhere to dietary guidelines set by the USDA – a government agency that supports the interest of agriculture (aka food industry). It’s no wonder we can’t get accurate information about nutrition.
Here is the 6 min video. Check it out: