Make Your Voice Heard for Drinking Water!
Drinking water should be featured on MyPlate and be strongly advised in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide the basis for federal food, nutrition and health policies and programs – including all federal food programs, institutional procurement policies, nutrition education programs – as well as nutritional advice given by health care providers. The Guidelines are updated every five years. New Guidelines are due to be released in 2020.
In 2015, the Advisory Committee for the that year’s guidelines made strong recommendations supporting drinking water promotion in the 2015 Guidelines:
“Strategies are needed to encourage the U.S. population to drink water when they are thirsty. Water provides a healthy, low-cost, zero-calorie beverage option,” (1)
“Approaches might include: Making water a preferred beverage choice. Encourage water as a preferred beverage when thirsty.” (2)
“Free, clean water should be available in public settings, as well as childcare facilities, schools, worksites, publicly funded athletic stadiums and arenas, transportation hubs (e.g., airports) and other community places, and should be promoted in all settings where beverages are offered.” (3)
“Make water accessible in public settings, childcare facilities, schools, work-sites and other community places where beverages are offered.” (4)
When released, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines stated simply:
“Strategies include choosing beverages with no added sugars, such as water, in place of sugar-sweetened beverages…” (5)
“Beverages that are calorie-free—especially water—or that contribute beneficial nutrients, such as fat-free and low-fat milk and 100% juice, should be the primary beverages consumed.” (6)
Meanwhile, the evidence base for the harms of sugary beverages is rapidly expanding. (7)
It is time for the DGAs to more strongly support Americans’ physical and oral health through advice and information that improves beverage habits, specifically recommending water as a beverage of choice.
A clear example of this concept in action can be seen in Canada’s Food Guide (right).
Americans can register opinions on the 2020 Guidelines through public comment to the US Department of Agriculture. The comment period for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines is scheduled to be open until May 1, 2020. However, comments submitted by early January will be provided to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee prior to their next open meeting on January 23-24, 2020.
Click HERE to learn how to submit your comment and see examples of comment material asking for stronger language on the importance of making water First for Thirst and urging the addition of a symbol for water to the MyPlate graphic.
Sources:
[1] 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/06-chapter-1/d1-3.asp
[2] 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Available at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/04-integration.asp
[3] 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/06-chapter-1/d1-3.asp
[4] 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Available at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/04-integration.asp
[5] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Chapter 2, pg. 55. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
[6] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Chapter 2, pg. 61. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
[7] Recent research includes:
Bleich SN, Vercammen KA. 2018. The negative impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on children's health: an update of the literature. BMC Obes 5:6. https://bmcobes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40608-017-0178-9
Chazelas E, Srour B, Desmetz E, Kesse-Guyot E, Julia C, et al. 2019. Sugary drink consumption and risk of cancer: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. BMJ 366:l2408
Chen H, Wang J, Li Z, Lam CWK, Xiao Y, et al. 2019. Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Has a Dose-Dependent Effect on the Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16
Collin LJ, Judd S, Safford M, Vaccarino V, Welsh JA. 2019. Association of Sugary Beverage Consumption With Mortality Risk in US Adults: A Secondary Analysis of Data From the REGARDS Study. JAMA Network Open 2:e193121-e
Mullee A, Romaguera D, Pearson-Stuttard J, Viallon V, Stepien M, et al. 2019. Association Between Soft Drink Consumption and Mortality in 10 European Countries. JAMA Internal Medicine
Muth ND, Dietz WH, Magge SN, Johnson RK. 2019. Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, SECTION ON OBESITY, COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION; Pediatrics 143 (4) e20190282; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-0282
Narain A, Kwok CS, Mamas MA. 2017. Soft drink intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pract 71
Seferidi P, Millett C, Laverty AA. 2018. Sweetened beverage intake in association to energy and sugar consumption and cardiometabolic markers in children. Pediatr Obes 13:195-203
