Integrating Nutrition into Healthcare in the Midwest

"Can you imagine a day when healthcare is mostly proactive as opposed to reactive? Imagine if everyone has access to the vital conditions for health and wellbeing: the factors that people depend on to reach their full potential. What does that future look like?

One way we’ll know that we’ve achieved this future is that everyone will experience nutrition security – meaning they have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods that promote optimal health and well-being – and diet-related illnesses will no longer be the leading cause of death in the United States, especially for people of color who are historically at greatest risk.

That was the focus of our discussions in late March at the second regional Come to the Table summit on nutrition security and healthcare at Trinity Health in Ypsilanti, Michigan, hosted by ProMedica and The Root Cause Coalition.  . Alonzo Lewis, president of Trinity Health Ann Arbor, set the tone by encouraging the 150 stakeholders in attendance to build on the momentum of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health by strengthening the intersections between nutrition and healthcare.

In addition to panel discussions comprised of experts in various fields, there was a lively town hall which provided everyone an opportunity to add their voice and experience to the conversation on hunger as a health issue. All in the room acknowledged that as a country, we have work to do. But as USDA Secretary Vilsack said in his recorded remarks, “Together, there is no challenge we can’t overcome.”.."
Nutrition and Security 

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 - 2025

"We are pleased to present the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. This edition marks the first time the Guidelines provide recommendations by life stage, from birth through older adulthood.

Each stage of life is distinct and has unique needs that affect health and disease risk. Early food preferences influence food and beverage choices later. And the science has evolved to focus on the importance of a healthy dietary pattern over time. The science also shows it’s never too late to start and maintain a healthy dietary pattern, which can yield health benefits in the short term and cumulatively over years. This new edition of the Dietary Guidelines includes specific recommendations for all life stages, now including infants and toddlers, and pregnant and lactating women. We are excited this is the first edition to provide guidance for every life stage.

This edition of the Dietary Guidelines is grounded in robust scientific reviews of the current body of evidence on key nutrition and health topics for each life stage. We thank the 20 distinguished scientists on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for their expertise and dedication in conducting an independent scientific review that was characterized by more transparency and public participation throughout the process than ever before. The Committee’s work culminated in a comprehensive scientific report on the current state of nutrition science and provided advice to the Departments for our development of this 9th edition of the Dietary Guidelines. The Committee also included important considerations for future research, such as a need to reconsider the Dietary Reference Intakes. The U.S. and Canadian Dietary Reference Intake Steering Committees are currently developing plans to re-examine energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate–the timeline for these macronutrient reviews has not been established. USDA and HHS are looking forward to jointly funding the work to help guide our Departments’ research agendas in the coming years..."
Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025 

Hungry for Healthier Eating Habits? Feast on These Ag Statistics

"Many people want to cultivate healthier eating habits and March, National Nutrition Month, may be a great time to start.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s MyPlate website is a resource available to help get on (or back on) the nutrition track. MyPlate itself is divided into five major food groups – vegetables, fruits, grains, protein foods, and dairy and fortified soy alternatives. But do you ever wonder where your food comes from, and how much our hardworking farmers and ranchers produce in a year?

Here are facts about some of America’s favorite, nutritious foods:

According to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), the tomato is one of the most commonly eaten vegetables in the country. In 2020, U.S. farmers produced 24.1 billion pounds of tomatoes with California producing more than 97%.

Apples are also a big hit in the U.S.. In 2019, our growers produced nearly 11 billion pounds, nearly 69% of which came from Washington state. The average yield from each of Washington’s 172,000 total apple bearing acres was 44,200 pounds! For 2020 data, check out the Non-Citrus Fruits & Nuts Annual Report.

Wheat, a health-promoting grain found in many foods, is one of our largest field crops. In 2020, U.S. farmers produced 1.8 billion bushels of it, with North Dakota producing more than 17% of the total.

For animal protein, according to ERS, chicken still tops the list in American diets. In 2019, 58.3 billion pounds of chicken were produced in the U.S., more than 14% or 8.3 billion pounds in the top producing state of Georgia. New data will be available on April 29 in the Poultry Production and Value Report..."
Healthy eating 

Personalize Your Plate for National Nutrition Month

"Happy National Nutrition Month®! No matter what your age or life stage, Nutrition.gov has resources to help you personalize your plate with healthy choices. Build a healthy diet that meets your unique needs and preferences with these three tips:

1. Know how your nutrition needs change over time. Eat healthy at every life stage with Nutrition.gov’s Nutrition by Age resources. Find resources for eating during pregnancy, feeding an infant, cooking for young children or teens, taking steps for healthy aging, and more. You and your loved ones can meet nutritional needs to help you feel your best during every stage of life.
2. Incorporate cultural foods and customs. Traditional foods, flavors, and cuisines offer a variety of healthy choices. Learn how to prepare them in healthful ways with recipes and tips on our Culture and Food page.
3. Choose the right eating plan for your health. Our Healthy Eating page provides basic resources to help you get started. Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider for suggestions on what diet changes would be helpful for maintaining health and preventing disease.

Did you know? Nutrition.gov also has a variety of healthy recipes to meet your personal preferences. You can discover even more resources to help you on your healthy eating journey by following us on Twitter or signing up for our Food and Nutrition Updates,," e-newsletter..."
Nutrition

Welcome to the New Nutrition.gov Website!

"For more than 15 years, Nutrition.gov has provided consumers with easy access to reliable information on food, healthy eating, food safety and physical activity. The Nutrition.gov team is pleased to announce the launch of a newly designed and enhanced website. Nutrition.gov will now feature a modernized, mobile-friendly design, enhanced functionality, better browsing ability and easier access to content that can help users make healthful eating choices. The website is also organized by audience type as well as nutrition topic for easier navigation.

Visitors can now access Nutrition.gov’s most popular content and resources directly from the home page. The site’s Popular Pages section will be updated regularly and is driven by users, highlighting the most-viewed pages. The new Topics page shows an at-a-glance view of the site’s content, making it easy to find information on topics such as diet and health conditions, strategies for successful weight loss and printable materials for classrooms and health fairs..."
Nutrition web site

Plan Healthy Meals

"March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme, “Go Further with Food,” encourages healthy eating habits and reducing food waste. Learn how to help your family eat better and “Go Further with Food.”

We know eating well can be tough–especially when you are a busy parent. Kids’ early eating experiences can affect how they eat as they get older. That’s why it’s so important to introduce them to healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, from the very beginning. It all starts with knowing how much you need and then incorporating healthy foods into your family’s diet. It is also important that you have access to nutritious foods in places where you and your family live, learn, work, and play.

Why Fruits and Veggies?

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps children get the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

Is My Family Getting Enough?

Most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. In 2015, only 12% of adults ate enough fruit and 9% ate enough vegetables. In 2013, 9% of adolescents ate enough fruit and 2% ate enough vegetables. The USDA’s ChooseMyPlate can help you find out if you have enough fruits and vegetables in your diet and choose the healthy foods and drinks for that work for your family..."

Healthy meals

Nutrition Labeling of Restaurant Menu and Vending Machine Items

"High rates of obesity and chronic diseases have prompted various federal, state, and local nutrition labeling initiatives. The 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (P.L. 101-535) required nutrition labeling of most foods and dietary supplements, but it did not require labeling of food sold in restaurants. However, consumption data indicate that Americans consume more than one-third of their calories outside the home, and frequent eating out is associated with increased caloric intake.

In 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111- 148) into law, with Section 4205 mandating nutrition labeling in certain restaurants and similar retail food establishments (SRFEs). This provision also required calorie labeling of certain vending machine items. In 2011, as required by the ACA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published two proposed rules establishing calorie labeling requirements for food items sold in certain restaurants and vending machines; both rules were finalized and published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2014. The labeling rules were to take effect one year later (December 1, 2015) for restaurants and two years later (December 1, 2016) for vending machines. The compliance date was extended following language included in the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113), which prohibited the use of any funds for implementation, administration, or enforcement of the menu labeling requirements until the later of December 1, 2016, or until one year from the date that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues Level 1 guidance on compliance with specified requirements for menu labeling contained in the final menu labeling rule. FDA issued such final guidance on May 5, 2016, and stated that the agency would not begin enforcing the final rule until May 5, 2017. In response to continuing concerns from certain sectors of the affected industry and some Members of Congress, on May 1, 2017, FDA announced that it was extending the compliance date to May 7, 2018. FDA has also extended the compliance date for calorie labeling of certain food products sold in vending machines to July 26, 2018..."
Nutrition labeling

Put Your Best Fork Forward!

"Eat more fruits and vegetables.

March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is "Put Your Best Fork Forward!" Part of leading a healthy life means eating a healthy diet and being physically active.

A recent CDC study highlights when, where, and how U.S. adults and children are eating a healthy diet. Those who are not getting enough fruits and veggies can take small steps towards meeting recommended amounts, including adding more fruit to your usual breakfast routine or adding vegetables to your meals..."
Nutrition

Dietary Guidelines for Americansa: 2015-2020, 8th edition

"One of our Government’s most important responsibilities is to protect the health of the American public. Today, about half of all American adults—117 million people—have one or more preventable, chronic diseases, many of which are related to poor quality eating patterns and physical inactivity. Rates of these chronic, diet-related diseases continue to rise, and they come not only with increased health risks, but also at high cost. In 2008, the medical costs linked to obesity were estimated to be $147 billion. In 2012, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in decreased productivity.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is an essential resource for health professionals and policymakers as they design and implement food and nutrition programs that feed the American people, such as USDA’s National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, which feed more than 30 million children each school day. The Dietary Guidelines also provides information that helps Americans make healthy choices for themselves and their families..."
Dietary guidelines

Child Nutrition Programs: Spending and Policy Options

"Several federal programs support children’s nutritional needs. In 2014, the federal government spent about $20 billion to reimburse schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for children’s meals. Those programs benefit mainly school-age children from low income households. Other nutrition programs provide benefits directly to such households: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly the Food Stamp program) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)..."
Child nutrition

FDA proposes updates to Nutrition Facts label on food packages

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the latest scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. The proposed label also would replace out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat, and it would feature a fresh design to highlight key parts of the label such as calories and serving sizes..."
Nutrition label

New Food Choices Free of Trans Fats Better Align U.S. Diets With Health Recommendations

"Federal agencies that are charged with giving dietary advice to consumers—the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—
recommend that consumers keep their intake of trans fatty acids as low as possible. To that
end, Federal regulations now require food labels to say how many grams of trans fats are
in each serving. In this report, we examine recent changes in the trans fats content of new
food products and the use of “no trans fats” package claims. We fi nd a marked decline in
the trans fats content of new food products from 2005 to 2010, along with an increase in the
use of “no trans fats” claims on product packages..."

Nutrition Basics

Take a look at how the basic food groups have changed over the years.

National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population 2012

"CDC’s Second Nutrition Report Adobe PDF file [PDF - 10.98MB] is part of a series of publications that provide ongoing assessment of the U.S. population’s nutrition status by measuring blood and urine concentrations of biochemical indicators (such as nutrients or a dietary indicator with potential health relevance).

Covering 58 biochemical indicators, CDC’s Second Report is the most comprehensive biochemical assessment of the nutritional status of the U.S. population – it shows us what the levels of nutrition indicators are actually in people – general population and selected groups such as children, women of childbearing age, and minorities..."

Nutrition.gov
"Nutrition.gov provides easy access to the best food and nutrition information from across the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers.

Providing science-based dietary guidance is critical to enhance the public's ability to make healthy choices in the effort to reduce obesity and other food related diseases. Since dietary needs change throughout the lifespan, specialized nutrition information is provided about infants, children, teens, adult women and men, and seniors..."

CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
"The Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) is working to reduce obesity and obesity-related conditions through state programs, technical assistance and training, leadership, surveillance and research, intervention development and evaluation, translation of practice-based evidence and research findings, and partnership development..."

Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food—Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress
"This report fills a request for a study of food deserts—areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food—from the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The report summarizes findings of a national-level assessment of the extent and characteristics of food deserts, analysis of the consequences of food deserts, lessons learned from related Federal programs, and a discussion of policy options for alleviating the effects of food deserts. Overall, findings show that a small percentage of consumers are constrained in their ability to access affordable nutritious food because they live far from a supermarket or large grocery store and do not have easy access to transportation."

The Decline in Consumer Use of Food Nutrition Labels, 1995-2006
"This report examines changes in consumers' use of nutrition labels on food packages between 1995-96 and 2005-06. The analysis finds that, although a majority of consumers report using nutrition labels when buying food, use has declined for most label components, including the Nutrition Facts panel and information about calories, fats, cholesterol, and sodium. By contrast, use of fiber information has increased. The decline in label use is particularly marked for the cohort of adults less than 30 years old."

Nutrient content of the U.S. food supply, 2005
"The U.S. Food Supply Series measures the amount of nutrients available for
consumption on a per capita and per day basis. The Series, dating back to 1909,
provides information on food energy and the energy-yielding nutrients—protein,
carbohydrate, and fat (total, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated
fatty acids), cholesterol, dietary fiber, 10 vitamins, and 9 minerals. The Nutrient
Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 2005, estimates on the availability and
percentage contributions of nutrients by major food groups. The data and trends
presented in this report are invaluable for monitoring the potential of the food
supply to meet nutritional needs; for examining relationships between food
supplies, diet, and health; and for examining dietary trends of Americans.
Additionally, estimates of nutrients in the food supply reflect Federal enrichment
and fortification standards and technological advances in the food industry, as
well as contribute to the Federal dietary guidance system."