{"id":261573,"date":"2026-02-07T14:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T19:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=261573"},"modified":"2026-02-07T17:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T22:54:05","slug":"decoding-the-new-federal-dietary-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2026\/decoding-the-new-federal-dietary-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Decoding the New Federal Dietary Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-right has-light-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1280\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-636x398.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-1024x640.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-755x472.png 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-900x563.png 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-a-cutting-a-fillet-steak-1200x750.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-70\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">health inequities<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecoding the New Federal Dietary Guidelines\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">As the 2025-2030 dietary guidelines continue to receive both praise and criticism, Monica Wang, David Jernigan, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Jessica Petrick, and Ana Poblacion explain how people should interpret and incorporate the recommendations into their own daily diet.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">February 7, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>The protein boom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/27\/briefing\/the-protein-boom.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reverberating<\/a> across America shows no sign of slowing down\u2014and according to federal health officials, full-fat dairy products, and beef tallow should receive similar attention and space on the average consumer&#8217;s plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a stark departure from previous recommendations, the US Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture jointly released 2025-2030 <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/cnpp\/dietary-guidelines-americans\" target=\"_blank\">federal dietary guidelines<\/a> last month that place an emphasis on consuming red meat, whole milk, and butter, along with fruits and vegetables. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/press-room\/fact-sheet-historic-reset-federal-nutrition-policy.html\" target=\"_blank\">Dubbed<\/a> \u201cthe most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in our nation\u2019s history,\u201d by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the updated dietary guidelines also suggest people limit\u2014or eliminate entirely\u2014highly processed foods, added sugars, and excess sodium. The guidelines also removed daily limits for alcohol consumption and now <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.realfood.gov\/DGA.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">urge<\/a> people to just &#8220;consume less alcohol.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the dietary guidelines have historically aimed to inform federal nutrition programs, schools, policymakers, and healthcare providers every five years, the latest document is also written for the general public to consume. But in the weeks since the newest guidelines were issued, the recommendations have received <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/23\/well\/eat\/rfk-jr-dietary-guidelines-food-pyramid-questions.html\" target=\"_blank\">mixed reviews<\/a> from health and nutrition experts\u2014<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/ama-press-releases\/ama-applauds-dietary-guidelines-announces-commitments-nutrition\" target=\"_blank\">praise<\/a> for promoting a whole, nutrient-dense diet and using simplified language, and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/01\/13\/new-food-pyramid-saturated-fats-dietitian\/\" target=\"_blank\">criticism<\/a> for presenting unclear or often conflicting recommendations that contradict decades of public health advice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A central component of the guidelines is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realfood.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inverted food pyramid<\/a> that elevates steak, full-fat dairy products, fruits, and vegetables and minimizes whole grains. It replaces the circular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL8wgGeKVh_7d4x7icBCNj99MsachAAChi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MyPlate Plan<\/a>, a customizable tool launched in 2011 by former First Lady Michelle Obama and former US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that encouraged people to meet food group targets that align with their dietary needs. The new guidelines advise Americans to increase their protein intake up to double the amount of the previous guidelines, even though data suggests that most people already consume enough of this food group. Foods high in saturated fat have long been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/fats\/saturated-fats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">linked<\/a> to cardiovascular disease, and red meat, in particular, has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/risk-prevention\/diet-physical-activity\/how-diet-and-physical-activity-impact-cancer-risk\/red-meat-and-cancer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">associated<\/a> with certain cancers. Meanwhile, legumes, which are good <a href=\"https:\/\/sncs-prod-external.mayo.edu\/hometown-health\/speaking-of-health\/dried-beans-healthy-meals\">sources<\/a> of fiber and protein, do not appear in the pyramid at all.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe return to a pyramid does help some people visualize overall dietary balance, especially with its renewed emphasis on whole, minimally processed foods and limiting added sugars. That\u2019s a clear improvement,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/monica-l-wang\/\">Monica Wang<\/a>, associate professor of community health sciences, who studies chronic disease prevention and the social and structural drivers of health, and has previously <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealthpost.org\/health-equity\/food-as-medicine-getting-back-to-what-nourishes-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">written<\/a> about viewing food as medicine. \u201cThat said, pyramids may still risk oversimplifying what healthy eating looks like across cultures, budgets, and life stages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of note, the new recommendations <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\/2025-advisory-committee-report\" target=\"_blank\">reject<\/a> many of the suggestions provided by the dietary guidelines advisory committee, the scientific panel that typically advises officials on what the guidelines should include. Health experts <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2026\/01\/16\/three-dollar-meals-rollins\/\" target=\"_blank\">worry<\/a> that the guidelines prioritize more expensive items and do not fully take into account the challenges that many families are experiencing with food access and affordability, as grocery costs and other expenses remain high throughout the country. The <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/in-every-corner-of-the-country-the-middle-class-struggles-with-affordability\/\" target=\"_blank\">affordability crisis<\/a> is expected to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/in-every-corner-of-the-country-the-middle-class-struggles-with-affordability\/\" target=\"_blank\">worsen<\/a> for millions of families, and eligibility and other new restrictions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/new-snap-work-requirements-february-2026\" target=\"_blank\">continue to kick in<\/a> for states, following the July 2025 passage of the federal tax and spending bill that is cutting <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/08\/08\/trumps-spending-bill-cuts-billions-in-snap-benefits.html\" target=\"_blank\">$186 billion<\/a> from SNAP over the next decade. Under the bill, the USDA also <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/stophunger.org\/usda-cuts-1-billion-dollars-for-schools-and-food-banks-tcpalm\/\" target=\"_blank\">cancelled<\/a> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-cuts-hit-struggling-food-banks-risking-hunger-low-income-americans-2025-03-25\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Emergency Food Assistance Program<\/a> (TEFAP) which provides more than $1 billion in funding for the Local Food for Schools and the Local Food Purchase Assistance programs. School administrators have<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reflector.com\/news\/local\/food-pyramid-changes-will-have-effects-on-school-lunches-officials-say-new-requirements-likely-to\/article_0abc7225-aaf4-41a8-b42c-dafb2c54f2db.html\" target=\"_blank\"> voiced<\/a> the need for financial support to implement the updated guidelines into their menus for students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn order for schools to follow these guidelines, there would need to be a massive investment of funds for reimbursement, as well as more and sustained nutrition education,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/stephanie-ettinger-de-cuba\/\">Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba<\/a>, research associate professor of health law, policy &amp; management, who studies the health of children and families, and their <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jandonline.org\/article\/S2212-2672(21)00383-X\/pdf\" target=\"_blank\">access<\/a> to basic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang and Ettinger de Cuba, along with SPH faculty member <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/david-jernigan\/\">David Jernigan<\/a>, professor of health law, policy &amp; management; <a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Jessica.Petrick\">Jessica Petrick<\/a>, assistant professor of medicine and hematology and medical oncology at BU Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine (CAMED), and <a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Ana.Poblacion\">Ana Poblacion<\/a>, assistant professor of pediatrics at CAMED, dissect the guidelines and explain how people can interpret and incorporate the recommendations into their own daily diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a sphnews-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">with Monica Wang, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, David Jernigan, Jessica Petrick, and Ana Poblacion<\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Do you think the emphasis on red meat and whole milk to end the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/07\/nx-s1-5667021\/dietary-guidelines-rfk-jr-nutrition\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;wars&#8221;<\/a> on protein and saturated fats stigmatizes certain people?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Wang<\/strong>: On one hand, pushing back against decades of fear-based messaging around fat and protein can be helpful and corrective. On the other, when guidelines elevate specific foods like red meat or whole milk as defaults, they can unintentionally marginalize people with food allergies, dietary restrictions, or who are navigating tight food budgets. Public guidance works best when it emphasizes patterns and flexibility, rather than signaling that health depends on access to a narrow set of foods.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">&nbsp;Is it concerning that eight of the nine authors of the guidelines have ties to the meat and dairy industries, or is it common for such panels to include industry experts?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Wang<\/strong>: It\u2019s not unusual for expert panels to include individuals with industry experience, especially in food and agriculture. Expertise often overlaps with industry involvement. The concern arises when those ties are not transparently managed or when they appear to dominate the evidence-review process. What matters most is strong conflict-of-interest safeguards, transparency, and a clear demonstration that recommendations are driven by the totality of independent evidence and not by any single sector\u2019s priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"> If you could change anything about the pyramid, what would you rearrange?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Wang<\/strong>: The protein section could be broadened visually and conceptually to more clearly include plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and seeds, alongside animal sources. That would better reflect both the evidence and the range of foods that people eat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"> What has your research shown about red meat consumption and cancer risk? Based on your work, should certain groups consider minimizing, rather than increasing, their consumption of red meat?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Petrick<\/strong>: Our prior work in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bwhs\/\">Black Women\u2019s Health Study<\/a> has shown that higher intake of&nbsp;red meat is associated with increased risk of&nbsp;both&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9071344\/\" target=\"_blank\">colorectal<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32611583\/\" target=\"_blank\">pancreatic<\/a> cancers. These findings align with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) guidelines, which recommend limiting intake of red meat and eating little to no processed meat. When applied alongside the new federal dietary guidelines, a 150-pound adult would ideally limit&nbsp;red meat to approximately 10-20 percent of the total protein intake. This suggests that most protein should come from non-red meat sources, particularly for individuals with elevated cancer risk. More broadly, the new federal guidelines\u2019 emphasis on eating whole, minimally processed foods and avoiding diets high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives aligns well with AICR recommendations for cancer prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Do you think the guidelines for children are realistic for the average child to adhere to, both at home and in school? Do you foresee any challenges with schools implementing these recommendations, particularly with the recent federal funding cuts to school?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Poblacion<\/strong>: With no mention of the word \u201cschool\u201d anywhere in the text,&nbsp; the guidelines appear to have one audience: stay-at-home women who should cook meals from scratch. That said, we can discuss if these recommendations are realistic for an average child to adhere to at home and whether schools are capable of following these new guidelines, given existing constraints.<br><br>It is important to distinguish how the term \u201chighly processed foods\u201d is being used in the guidelines: \u201cPaired with a dramatic reduction in highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives, this approach can change the health trajectory for so many Americans.\u201d This description appears to overlap with the fourth category of the <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10260459\/\">NOVA classification<\/a>, a highly accepted definition and classification of processed food. NOVA <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10260459\/\">classifies<\/a> foods into four categories considering physical, biological and chemical methods used during the food manufacturing process: Non-ultra-processed food groups or Minimally processed foods; processed culinary ingredients;&nbsp; processed foods; and ultraprocessed foods. This last category is defined by formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, that result from a series of industrial processes. These foods undergo significant industrial processing, with additives like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, hydrolysed protein, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, etc. In this sense, avoiding children\u2019s exposure to ultraprocessed foods makes sense. However, the devil is in the details. The society we are currently in today precludes both caregivers to be financial providers. So, cooking all meals from scratch is not common given the demands of modern life.&nbsp;<br><br>With regard to schools\u2019 ability to integrate these nutrition guidelines, a nationwide, large-scale, sustained investment of funds in school meal reimbursement would be necessary. Less processed foods are more expensive and current reimbursement structures do not allow schools to meet these guidelines. In addition, similar investments would be needed, as less processed foods inherently require more preparation. In past decades, many school systems eliminated kitchens and relied instead on vendors who provide food that is often prepackaged.<br><br><strong>Ettinger de Cuba<\/strong>: Schools would also need sustained support for widespread, integrated nutrition education. Science shows us that rapid changes to diet are unlikely to be well-accepted, leading to food waste. Prior successful efforts at dietary improvement in schools required repeated taste tests, integration of nutrition and healthy eating into other curricula, including math, science, and social studies. Other key audiences for nutrition education and support include teachers, kitchen and school staff, including custodians, and parents.&nbsp;<br><br>And we can\u2019t forget young children. Children\u2019s dietary preferences are set early. Children in early education and care are served by the Child and Adult Care Food Program or CACFP. CACFP, while very <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jandonline.org\/article\/S2212-2672(23)00301-5\/fulltext\">important<\/a> to young children\u2019s health and nutrition, has extremely low reimbursement rates and a great deal of administrative burden for participating early education providers. Just like in the K-12 setting, early education providers need real-world reimbursement rates, less red tape, and support for nutrition education for their young charges, their teachers, and the children\u2019s parents.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"> Many states are beginning to restrict SNAP recipients from purchasing junk food, sugary drinks, and hot\/prepared foods with their benefits. Do you think these restrictions will ultimately benefit their health?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Ettinger de Cuba<\/strong>: For many years, groups purportedly interested in improving the nutritional status of people with low incomes have focused on restricting SNAP as a way to reach this goal. However, these restrictions will harm health and ignore important facts. <a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthwatch.org\/the-real-cost-of-a-healthy-diet\/\">SNAP<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/read\/13485\">benefits<\/a>, including the maximum monthly benefit, have been repeatedly demonstrated to be insufficient for purchasing a healthy diet. The calculation upon which the maximum benefit is based does not reflect modern food prices or demands on household <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nokidhungry.org\/blog\/how-cutting-thrifty-food-plan-would-deepen-hunger-millions-families\">budgets<\/a>. On average, SNAP benefits provide $5.90-$6.20 per person per day, or, $1.96-$2.07 per person per meal. This is insufficient to purchase a meal\u2014unless it is ultraprocessed\u2014or cook a meal from scratch. How can we expect people to eat well when the benefit does not match the cost of food? SNAP benefits are set nationally, which means the calculation does not adjust for regional prices and, thus, families in high cost areas are at an additional purchasing power disadvantage. Research examining SNAP benefit amounts and their connection to health outcomes tell a consistent story. For example, women who had higher SNAP benefit amounts had lower <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0002822311013745\">BMIs<\/a> than those with low benefit amounts, pointing to the role of purchasing power in the relationship between food and healthy weight. Similarly, in examining how benefit amounts relate to health and health care utilization, children in areas of the country where the SNAP benefit had lower purchasing power were less likely to get needed preventive health care and more likely to miss school due to illness.<br><br>Poor eating habits are also not limited to those with low incomes. The entire US population eats too much saturated fat, sodium, packaged food, and sugar-sweetened beverages, thus, the solutions need to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jandonline.org\/article\/S2212-2672(22)00236-2\/fulltext\">society-wide<\/a>. Targeting poor people misses the mark that US eating habits and the whole US food system need change. These changes include reducing the excessive influence of corporate&nbsp;food and agriculture industries on the US food system, for example, by subsidizing fresh fruits and vegetable farmers and providing additional support to small farmers;&nbsp; fundamental systemic changes in food advertisement to children and adults;&nbsp; ensuring that work pays real cost-of-living wages; reining in rampant \u201cfinancialization\u201d of the economy; and eliminating inequities in education attainment, earnings, and incomes by race, ethnic origin, nativity, and gender.&nbsp;<br><br>The bottom line is that it is important to recognize systemic causes of low prices and unlimited availability of poor quality, energy-dense, nutrient-sparse foods, and limited availability and high costs of healthful foods, instead of blaming the high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases on people\u2019s poor choices\u2014and, more specifically, poor people\u2019s \u201cchoices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">SPH:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Is the shift in guidance around alcohol consumption problematic, and do you think it will have a real impact on the public&#8217;s drinking behaviors? Do you agree with the previous recommendations for women to consume no more than one drink per day and men to consume no more than two drinks per day?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Jernigan<\/strong>: This change in the guidelines ignores significant research that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2025\/01\/14\/alcohol-health-effects-new-federal-report-says-single-drink-daily-raises-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found<\/a> that the prior limit of two drinks per day for men was too high, as low risk for men and women is a maximum of one drink per day. The new guideline does not tell people much of anything. Asking people to \u201cdrink less,\u201d when 17 percent of US adults age 18+ report binge drinking\u2014which is four or more standard drinks for women and five or more for men, on a single occasion\u2014in the last 30 days, gives people permission to keep drinking at high-risk levels. This is like telling drivers to \u201cspeed less\u201d\u2014we have specific speed limits for a reason, we should do at least as well for a product that kills 178,000 Americans a year. Once again we have failed to follow the science.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The protein boom reverberating across America shows no sign of slowing down\u2014and according to federal health officials, full-fat dairy products, and beef tallow should receive similar attention and space on the average consumer&#8217;s plate. In a stark departure from previous recommendations, the US Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture jointly released 2025-2030 federal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":261593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[3705,4429,2178,3649,2377],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3520,3525,3531,3535,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[2765,1208,4072],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/261573"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261573"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/261573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":261643,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/261573\/revisions\/261643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=261573"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=261573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}