For the first time ever, the USDA came out and said that in order to combat obesity, you have to eat less. So just eat a single down, okay?

While the recommendations to eat less salt and saturated fats, and eat more vegetables and fruits and whole grains sound comically obvious, it’s a big step for the government. Wary of provoking the powerful food lobby, until this point the Federal nutrition guidelines have shied away from telling anyone they what they shouldn’t eat and focused more on recommending what they should eat. However, some critics think they should go further:

NYT:

Ms. Nestle said government regulators could be even more blunt. She said they continue to cite specific foods when telling people what to eat more, while they tend to use nutrients when telling people what to eat less. For example, the guidelines say, “Limit the consumption of foods that contain refined grains, especially refined grain foods that contain solid fats, added sugars and sodium.”

“It means eat less junk food,” she said.

And Ms. Wootan said she wished regulators were more explicit in their advice “to reduce the intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars,” which she described as worthless.

Instead, she suggested, “Cut back on cheese, hamburgers, pizza, cookies and pastries.”

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 [USDA]

New Dietary Advice From Government: Just Eat Less [NYT] (Thanks to c-side!)

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