The United States has revised its federal dietary guidelines, advising Americans to significantly increase their protein intake and completely avoid added sugar. The updated recommendations are expected to influence meals served in schools, the military and government-supported food programmes, reports Financial Times.
The new guidelines were released on Wednesday by federal officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Unlike earlier versions, which are updated every five years, the latest changes mark a clear shift in approach.
Kennedy said the revised advice reflects growing concern over rising obesity and long-term health problems linked to high sugar consumption and heavily processed foods. He said the new guidelines represent a major change in national nutrition policy and are aimed at improving public health.
According to the updated guidance, people should consume between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, compared with the earlier recommendation of 0.8 grams. Health officials said previous advice placed too much emphasis on carbohydrates and did not give enough importance to protein.
The guidelines also recommend avoiding all added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Parents are advised not to give any added sugar to children aged four and under. Earlier guidelines allowed added sugars to make up less than 10 percent of daily calorie intake.
While the guidelines do not control what foods are sold in shops, they strongly influence dietary advice and government food policies. Kennedy said the standards affect around 45 million school lunches served daily, meals for more than one million active-duty military personnel, and food provided to millions of patients in veterans’ hospitals.
White House officials said the changes will also shape food provided through welfare and nutrition assistance programmes. They said public funds in the past had supported foods that contributed to long-term health problems.
The new advice urges people to stay away from packaged and highly processed foods, including salty snacks, sweets, sugary soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit-flavoured drinks. Many of these products are made by large food companies and are common in supermarket aisles.
Kennedy criticised earlier administrations, saying public health advice had been influenced by corporate interests rather than science.
Food industry groups responded cautiously. The Consumer Brands Association said Americans value having access to a wide range of affordable and safe food choices. The Sugar Association said the recommendations on added sugar were unrealistic and not backed by strong scientific evidence.
The revised guidelines also remove earlier limits on alcohol intake, which advised adults to restrict consumption to one or two drinks a day. The new advice simply encourages people to drink less alcohol without setting a specific limit.
Medicare and Medicaid administrator Mehmet Oz supported the change, saying alcohol should not be treated as a health requirement and should be consumed carefully and in moderation.
