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Evaluating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Scenario: You will act in a consultancy role for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), undertaking an evaluation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Click each of the items below to reveal the assessment requirements.

Part 1 – Reviewing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Your first task in the evaluation is to review the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Select a specific key recommendation within the guidelines, and identify scientific evidence used to inform the chosen guideline/key recommendation. At this stage, you are not looking for new scientific evidence, rather you are reviewing the existing research used to support and inform a specific key recommendation within the current guidelines.

Complete Part 1 of the template provided, ensuring you:

Select and describe a key recommendation within the current guidelines and the reason for your choice.
Identify three (3) resources cited in the current guidelines that include supporting scientific evidence used to inform the selected guideline/key recommendation.
Resources should be of varied research type from peer-reviewed journals (e.g., observational research, epidemiological research, randomized controlled trial).
Provide references using full APA formatting.
In your own words, explain how each resource informed the selected guideline/key recommendation.
Part 2 – Recommendations for an Updated Guideline
It is important that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans undergo evaluation to include the most up-to-date information. Your next task is to make recommendations for an updated edition of the guideline/key recommendation by finding up-to-date, supporting, and/or contrasting scientific evidence. Through your research, you may find scientific evidence to strengthen or weaken the current guideline/key recommendation. To prepare for reporting back to the USDA Dietary Guidelines Committee, you will critically analyze the resources you find to inform your recommendations.

Complete Part 2 of the template provided, ensuring you:

Identify three (3) resources (dated within the past 5 years of the publication date of the current guidelines) that provide more recent scientific evidence to inform the guideline/key recommendation.
Resources should be of varied research type from peer-reviewed journals (e.g., observational research, epidemiological research, randomized controlled trial).
Provide references using full APA formatting.
In your own words, explain how each resource either strengthens or weakens the current guideline/key recommendation.
Consider:
Common themes and/or differences found within the recent scientific evidence
If the wording or intent of the selected guideline/key recommendation should be changed
Part 3 – Application of the Guideline
Your final task is to consider how you may apply your findings to a specific setting, such as home, school, workplace, community, or retail operation. Following your learning from Part 1 and Part 2, you will determine how the guideline/key recommendation might be applied in a setting familiar to you and the ways in which you might influence policy to help others meet this in practice.

Complete Part 3 of the template provided, ensuring you:

Select a specific setting to focus on. Describe your chosen setting and the reason for your choice.
In the home
In schools
In the workplace
In the community
In retail operations
Recommend three (3) ways to influence policy in your selected setting to help people meet the guideline/key recommendation.
Propose educational opportunities that could help people in your selected setting understand the guideline/key recommendation.

Full Answer Section

2. Supporting Scientific Evidence:

Resource 1:
- Title: Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis.
- Authors: Li, Y., Liu, S., & Manson, J. E. (2008).
- Journal: Diabetes Care, 31(11), 2114-2120.
- Type of Research: Meta-analysis of observational studies.
- How it Informs the Guideline: This study provides strong evidence linking increased fruit and vegetable consumption to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings support the recommendation to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables from different subgroups.
Resource 2:
- Title: Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis of prospective studies.
- Authors: Larsson, S. C., & Wolk, A. (2006).
- Journal: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 84(3), 751-760.
- Type of Research: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
- How it Informs the Guideline: This study provides evidence that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. This supports the recommendation to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in the diet.
Resource 3:
- Title: Dietary guidelines for Americans: Executive summary.
- Authors: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020-2025).
- Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office.
- Type of Research: Comprehensive review of scientific evidence.
- How it Informs the Guideline: This document provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence supporting the recommendation for increased fruit and vegetable consumption. It summarizes findings from numerous studies on the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and provides specific recommendations for dietary intake.

Part 2 – Recommendations for an Updated Guideline

1. Recent Scientific Evidence:

Resource 1:
- Title: The role of the gut microbiota in fruit and vegetable consumption and human health.
- Authors: Singh, R. K., Chang, H. W., & Yan, D. (2017).
- Journal: Nutrients, 9(10), 1062.
- Type of Research: Review article.
- How it Informs the Guideline: This review article highlights the role of the gut microbiota in the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It strengthens the recommendation by emphasizing the positive impact of diverse plant-based diets on gut health and overall well-being.
Resource 2:
- Title: Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of cognitive decline: A meta-analysis.
- Authors: Morris, M. C., Evans, D. A., Tangney, C. C., & Bennett, D. A. (2015).
- Journal: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 101(6), 1326-1333.
- Type of Research: Meta-analysis of observational studies.
- How it Informs the Guideline: This study provides evidence that higher fruit and vegetable consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia. This strengthens the recommendation by highlighting the potential cognitive benefits of a plant-based diet.

Sample Answer

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Evaluation

Part 1 – Reviewing the Current Dietary Guidelines for Americans

1. Selected Guideline/Key Recommendation:

Recommendation: "Consume a variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups—dark green, red and orange, legumes, starchy, other—and consume fruits, especially whole fruits." (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025)
Reason for Choice: This recommendation highlights the importance of consuming a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, which is crucial for overall health and disease prevention.