(SEPTEMBER 1) – United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) Director of Policy & Outreach Lia Biondo testified in front of both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services on August 11, 2020 on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) Scientific Report. The report will be used by USDA and HHS to build out the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, which is expected to be published in December 2020.
For the first time in its history, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee considered the nutrition requirements for different life stages, from infancy to adulthood (We know exactly what to feed our cow-calf pairs for the best nutrition, but we’re just now considering the nutrition requirements of a mother and her newborn baby…hmmm…).
Anyway…the report does recommend a diet rich in iron, folate, choline and vitamins D and E for newborns, infants, and mothers – nutrients that are all very present in beef.
Still, USCA was disappointed that the report excluded dozens of studies on low-carbohydrate diets and ignored all weight-loss trials and the more than 60% of Americans with one or more chronic condition, such as obesity or diabetes, and who most need reliable dietary advice. Over 80 percent of Americans are overweight, obese, or afflicted by Type 2 diabetes. So, by focusing exclusively on prevention, the policy addresses only a small minority of the U.S. population.
Additionally, the guidelines refer to only ‘lean’ beef as healthy beef. This is why it’s important to consider ALL diet types, including high protein, high fat, and low-carb diets. it’s not just the protein but the fats that make beef such an important part of the diet. The egg industry went through a similar revelation when we learned that the yolks – not just the whites – of eggs are an important part of breakfast (or lunch, or dinner).
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans shape the way our citizens eat in schools, hospitals, military bases, and nursing homes. USCA will continue testifying, commenting, and working with both USDA and HHS to ensure the health and nutrition benefits of U.S. beef continue to be recognize.