The U.S. Government Dietary Guidelines for Americans are about to be revised. Join us in asking that they reflect current knowledge on nutrition, free of influence from the meat and dairy industries, by signing this petition.
Key requests of the petition are for the government to:
- Focus on science and end the exaggerated promotion of meat and dairy products
- Use clear language in describing the relationship between foods and risk
- Replace the MyPlate icon’s “protein group” with a “legumes” group and remove the “dairy” icon all together.
The petition is organized by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Wholesome Minnesota and Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) have signed on. The petition calls the attention of relevant government agencies to changes that are needed in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAC). We want the guidelines to reflect what science has shown to be the most healthy diet — a healthful plant-based diet.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide nutrition recommendations and are the basis for federal food programs such as MyPlate. They are updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). PCRM has a long history of providing input into this process.
Their efforts have led to great improvements in the guidelines. However, the DGAC still appears to be unduly influenced by the meat, dairy, and egg industries. In particular, the guidelines have failed to warn against dairy products, which are the leading source of saturated fat in the American diet and increase the risk of various health conditions. According to PCRM: “DGAC’s scientific report “preserves antiquated, racially biased dairy-promoting guidelines, despite clear contributions to health problems that take a disproportionate toll in Black Americans and other demographic groups.”
The petition acknowledges the improvements that have been made and calls for additional changes. It points out that cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes, are widespread with known negative impacts. It reiterates that nutrition plays a key role in addressing these conditions. Its main point is that “To the extent the Guidelines are insufficiently clear or fail to reflect current scientific knowledge, they put Americans at risk.”
The recommendations outlined above will allow agencies, organizations, and individuals to determine which foods should be emphasized or minimized to protect against diet-related conditions. By signing the petition and spreading the word we can help bring about this important outcome.