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GLP podcast: Everybody’s wrong about RFK, Jr.’s dietary guidelines
Depending on whom you ask, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans represent a significant step forward for public health—or they’re a disaster. The guidelines emphasize “real food,” prioritizing full-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and increased protein intake while advising against “highly processed” foods, refined carbohydrates and added sugars. In short, the federal government has revived an inverted food pyramid that places animal proteins and dairy prominently.
The guidelines aren’t perfect; they call out harmless additives and processing that have no bearing on the nutritional content of food, for example. But the media, always eager to publicly chastise RFK, Jr., has exaggerated the changes, portraying the updates as fully endorsing unrestricted meat and dairy consumption. For instance, NPR described them as going “all in on meat and dairy,” suggesting a complete reversal of prior cautions. In reality, the guidelines do not eliminate established limits on saturated fats, a common (though arguably unjustified) concern with red meat and full-fat dairy.
In fact, the guidelines explicitly retain the longstanding recommendation to cap saturated fat intake at less than 10% of daily calories, consistent with previous editions and recognizing the ongoing debate over the risks and benefits of meat and milk consumption.
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Bottom line: everyone is wrong about the new dietary guidelines to one degree or another. Reporters rushed in to amplify a scandal when they should have been calling balls and strikes. Kennedy doubled down on his quasi-religious devotion to “whole foods,” and the public was left to discern the new recommendations for themselves.
Join Dr. Liza Lockwood and Cam English on this episode of Facts and Fallacies as they take a closer look at the new dietary guidelines:
Dr. Liza Lockwood is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD
Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow him on X @camjenglish
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By Cameron English
4.2
2626 ratings
Depending on whom you ask, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans represent a significant step forward for public health—or they’re a disaster. The guidelines emphasize “real food,” prioritizing full-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and increased protein intake while advising against “highly processed” foods, refined carbohydrates and added sugars. In short, the federal government has revived an inverted food pyramid that places animal proteins and dairy prominently.
The guidelines aren’t perfect; they call out harmless additives and processing that have no bearing on the nutritional content of food, for example. But the media, always eager to publicly chastise RFK, Jr., has exaggerated the changes, portraying the updates as fully endorsing unrestricted meat and dairy consumption. For instance, NPR described them as going “all in on meat and dairy,” suggesting a complete reversal of prior cautions. In reality, the guidelines do not eliminate established limits on saturated fats, a common (though arguably unjustified) concern with red meat and full-fat dairy.
In fact, the guidelines explicitly retain the longstanding recommendation to cap saturated fat intake at less than 10% of daily calories, consistent with previous editions and recognizing the ongoing debate over the risks and benefits of meat and milk consumption.
Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.
SIGN UP
Bottom line: everyone is wrong about the new dietary guidelines to one degree or another. Reporters rushed in to amplify a scandal when they should have been calling balls and strikes. Kennedy doubled down on his quasi-religious devotion to “whole foods,” and the public was left to discern the new recommendations for themselves.
Join Dr. Liza Lockwood and Cam English on this episode of Facts and Fallacies as they take a closer look at the new dietary guidelines:
Dr. Liza Lockwood is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD
Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow him on X @camjenglish