February 24, 2023
By: Edward McCarthy, Public Affairs Specialist within OASH Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Image: 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee with HHS Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean and Committee staff leads
Summary:
This blog provides an overview of the events of the first meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Committee on February 9th and 10th, 2023.
Rockville, Md. – ICYMI: On February 9 and 10, the newly announced 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee convened for its first official meeting.
Comprised of 20 nationally recognized science and nutrition experts, the Committee will provide independent, science-based advice and recommendations to be considered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the development of the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines). Over the next two years the Committee will rigorously review and evaluate all available scientific research and data that will answer a set of proposed scientific questions. Upon completion, they will submit their recommendations to HHS and USDA, which will inform the development of the tenth edition of the Dietary Guidelines.
On the first day of the meeting, members of the HHS’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion gave presentations on topics ranging from the decades-long history and evolution of the Dietary Guidelines and the Advisory Committee to overviews of the three scientific approaches the Committee will use to examine the evidence, including nutrition systematic evidence reviews, food pattern modeling, and data analysis.
The second day of the meeting opened with remarks from Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral. Rachel Levine, who thanked the Committee and emphasized the importance of the work they will complete. She also applauded the diversity of its members, calling it “one of the most diverse Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees to date with respect to subject matter expertise and racial and ethnic backgrounds.” Admiral Levine’s sentiments were echoed by USDA’s deputy undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Stacy Dean, who highlighted the importance of the Committee’s work, and stated that the Dietary Guidelines “power the ‘nutrition’ in ‘nutrition security’.”
ODPHP staff reviewed the process for developing the scientific questions that the Committee will refine and update throughout their deliberation, and ODPHP staff identified and encouraged opportunities for public comment and engagement with the Committee’s work. Time was provided in the meeting for Committee members to ask questions and discuss some of the opportunities and potential challenges that they may encounter in their work. Several members drew attention to the importance of health equity and consideration for varying levels of nutritional education and access across diverse populations during their research and evaluation.
The Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for May 10, 2023. You can view a recording of the first day of the Committee meeting at: 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Meeting 1 (Day 1). Recording for Day two is accessible at: 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Meeting 1 (Day 2)
Comments (0)