The federal government’s latest Dietary Guidelines for America do not include suggestions to cut sugar and alcohol, even though scientists have warned that during the COVID pandemic, sedentary Americans are drinking and eating more to the detriment of their health.
Governmental guidelines can have a big effect on the country’s health. In 1992, for example, the USDA’s “Food Pyramid” suggested grains, bread and pasta should be a major portion of the American diet, and warned against fats.
As described in our Understanding Carbohydrates guidebooks, food manufacturers responded by producing low-fat products high in processed carbohydrates, a diet to which some experts attribute the current epidemic of diabetes and prediabetes.
Advice on nutrition, food and health is not always accurate, even when it comes from the government. If you have questions about how fats, sugars and carbohydrates affect your body and your health, check out more resources on this site.
