From adding a little broccoli to your plate to deciding to skip that piece of pie, people make countless choices every day to eat healthier. The National Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide recommendations every five years on how Americans can be their healthiest selves. Purdue faculty and alumni have played an important role in that guidance.
The guidelines, which began in 1980, are federally mandated by Congress. Before each new set of guidelines, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture commission a committee of scientists to examine existing research literature and formulate health recommendations based on the science.
With its rich history and reputation for research and education, Purdue University's Department of Nutritional Sciences (NUTR) in the College of Health and Human Sciences has represented both faculty and alumni on the three most recent dietary guidelines advisory committees. Each committee explored new questions to form the evidence base for the guidelines, which impact school meal programs, nutrition assistance programs and more.
"It's an honor, a privilege and a responsibility," said Wayne Campbell, professor of nutritional science. "This is the highest and most impactful nutrition committee you can be a part of in the United States because it gives the government a scientific basis to set dietary guidelines for the entire country. When I was on the committee (in 2015), it was said that the dietary guidelines directly impact approximately 30 million people on any given day."
2015: Focus on dietary patterns
Before 2015, the committee was charged with researching what nutrients Americans should consume and what foods would give them those nutrients. In 2015, the committee Campbell was on was tasked with expanding the picture to look at dietary patterns - or the combinations, amounts and varieties of foods - and their role in a healthy diet.
Perhaps one of the most notable changes for the committee he served on was the finding that cholesterol in egg yolks, previously thought to have negative health effects, was not as harmful as previously thought. This led to revised guidelines for egg consumption.
"This is what led to a lot of news around the country and beyond, this change that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee now let you eat your eggs," Campbell said with a chuckle.
In addition to the groundbreaking egg news, the 2015 committee conducted extensive research into dietary patterns in the workplace and nutrition in the context of acculturation and immigration.
"I was proud of the work we did," Campbell said. "I got involved in a lot of subcommittees that were dealing with some very forward-looking questions at the time."
2020: Full life cycle exploration
The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was unique in that the 20-member committee included a current distinguished NUTR professor, Richard Mattes; two former NUTR faculty members who were on the Purdue faculty when the committee was formed; one NUTR alumna; and one NUTR adjunct faculty member.
"When the 2020 committee was first formed, it consisted of three Purdue faculty, which is amazing," Mattes said. "There are top quality people working in this department. The committee is looking for experts; they seek out the people they believe have the ability to see the big picture, think critically about the science, and be objective. I think it fits in well with the caliber of talent here at the university."
While the 2015 committee introduced looking at dietary patterns, one of the key changes made by the committee Mattes sat on was expanding the reach of the guidelines to include even the youngest members of society.
"A unique dimension of the 2020 committee was that it was the first time the full life cycle science was assessed," Mattes said. "Previously it started at age 2, and with the 2020 commission it continued through pregnancy and childhood. It expanded the scope of the recommendations."
The 2020 committee also investigated snacking, as it contributes to eating frequency with important health consequences. Mattes, who had significant research experience with beverages and their effect on body weight, also worked with the committee to look at food form and the contribution of beverages to health outcomes.
Mattes said that while the rigorous process does not bring any direct benefits, membership of the committee often identifies members as experts in their field, providing unique future opportunities to make a difference in the nutrition field through seminars, papers, research collaborations and more. .
"You have the opportunity to have a bigger impact than just the work you did on the committee," Mattes said.
2025: Looking to the future
Heather Eicher-Miller, professor of nutrition science, is the latest addition to the Dietary Guidelines Committee, which is currently working to create the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The committee's two-year work is halfway through, and Eicher -Miller said she enjoyed seeing the dedication and work put into the guidelines and being able to contribute.
"I feel very fortunate to have gotten to know all the other people on the committee and also to work with really excellent government teams who have been doing this for a long time, and they have been extraordinary in their support of the committee," Eicher said. - said Miller. "It's really fascinating to learn about those opportunities and then be able to make my students aware of those jobs."
While nothing can be shared on topics being explored by the committee, Eicher-Miller noted that this update to the guidelines will take a health equity approach to make the guidelines relevant to Americans of diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds . Her research expertise in dietary patterns and analysis, with a focus on people living in food insecure situations, has served her well as co-chair of the Food Pattern Modeling and Data Analysis Subcommittee.
Ultimately, Eicher-Miller explained that membership on the prestigious committee offers Purdue researchers the opportunity to have a direct impact on nutrition, both now and in the future.
"It gives our department and institution an opportunity to contribute to what will happen in the next five years and the next five years after that," Eicher-Miller said.
