VOA健康报道2024--New US Food Guidelines: Eat Less Meat, More Beans

 

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

For a healthy diet, people should eat more beans, peas and lentils. They should eat less red meat and processed meats, as well as starchy vegetables, like potatoes. Also, they should continue to limit added sugars, sodium¹ and saturated² fat, an especially unhealthy kind of fat.

That is the latest advice released on December 10 by a panel of nutrition experts. This panel of experts is responsible for advising the U.S. government about the 2025 dietary guidelines. These guidelines will inform and shape federal food programs and policy.

But the 20-member panel did not advise on ultra-processed foods that some research findings link to health problems. The panel says there is not enough evidence to tell people to avoid them. And the group did not speak to possibly updating controversial guidance on drinking alcohol. They are leaving that issue to two independent reports expected to be released soon.

Overall, the recommendations for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans sound familiar, said Marion Nestle. She is a food policy expert.

"This looks like every other set of dietary guidelines since 1980: eat your veggies and reduce consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat," she said in an email.

She also said the latest advice "says nothing about balancing calories, when overconsumption of calories, especially from ultra-processed foods, is the biggest challenge to the health of Americans."

What the scientific panel said about healthy diets

The nutrition panel described a healthy diet for people beginning at two years old. It is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish and vegetable oils that are higher in unsaturated fat.

The recommended diet is lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened food and drink, refined grains and saturated fat. It may also include fat-free or low-fat dairy and foods lower in sodium and may include plant-based foods.

This panel worked on the guidelines for almost two years. It was the first to consider dietary needs based on financial situation, race, ethnicity and culture.

Panelist Fatima Cody Stanford is an obesity³ expert and doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. In an email, she said that considering these new elements will help make sure that the guidance "...reflects and includes various population groups."

Missing from the guidelines

The panel did not advise on two controversial food groups: ultra-processed foods or alcohol.

Ultra-processed foods make up about 60 percent of the American diet.

The panel considered more than 40 studies. Several of them showed links between ultra-processed foods and being overweight or obesity. But the nutrition experts had concerns with the quality of the research. So, they said the evidence was too limited to make recommendations.

The panel also did not change recommendations about alcohol. The current guidelines are two drinks or less a day for men and one drink or less a day for women.

The last time the guidance was updated was in 2020. At that time, the government rejected the advice of scientific advisers⁴ to recommend less alcohol consumption.

Two separate government groups expect to release reports in the coming months on the effects of moderate alcohol use to inform the guidelines.

Do Americans follow dietary guidelines?

The advisory⁵ panel said they know that the diets of most Americans do not meet the current guidelines. More than half of all adults in the country have one or more diet-related chronic⁶ health condition. And 18 million individuals and families have insecure sources of food, the report says.

The report adds that "...nutrition-related chronic health conditions" will continue "to threaten health through the lifespan." It adds that this is not good "for the future of health in the United States."

What happens next?

The scientific report informs the dietary guidelines which are updated every five years. These new recommendations now go to the U.S. Health & Human Services (or HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (or USDA). Officials there will create the final guidance and release it next year.

As of December 11, the public has 60 days to comment on the guidance. HHS and USDA officials will hold a public meeting on January 16 to discuss the recommendations.

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.

I'm Anna Matteo.

JoNel Aleccia reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

panel - n. a group of persons selected for some service (such as investigation⁷ or arbitration)

controversial - adj. something that causes a discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views

recommendation - n. suggestions or advice on what is the best thing to do

consumption - n. the act of eating or drinking something

challenge - n. a stimulating⁸ task or problem

obesity - n. a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body and that in an adult is typically indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater

reflect - v. to cause (something, such as honor or credit) to be attributed or associated -used with the words on or upon

various - adj. of an indefinite number greater than one

chronic - adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time

1 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

2 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

3 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

4 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

5 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

6 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。