27 May 2003 - White House issues urgent advice on dietary fat

In a remarkable letter to the US Government's Department of Agriculture and the Department of Human Health and Services, the White House has asked for major revisions in the current official 'Dietary Guidelines for Americans' and the associated 'Food Pyramid'.

These changes are being requested because evidence shows that the current guidelines (aimed at reducing in saturated fat and cholesterol) are having little impact on major health problems such as obesity and heart disease.

Instead, the White House urges that the new guidelines (not due until 2005) should reflect the mounting evidence that other aspects of dietary fat consumption may be more important. Specifically, they emphasise:

• reducing trans fats (found in margarine and most processed foods) and
• increasing omega-3 fats (found in green leafy vegetables, some nuts and seeds, and fish and seafood)

As the evidence elsewhere on this website clearly shows, these dietary changes would not only help to combat the epidemic of obesity, type-II diabetes and cardiovascular disease afflicting American citizens, but should also help to improve their mental health and abilities too.