The United States government has published official Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) since 1980 and has recently released the 2010 version. Serving as a foundational cornerstone for federal nutrition policy, the DGA embrace current nutritional science and translate it into practical guidance to enhance the overall health of Americans. This article reviews the history and process for developing the DGA, including the incorporation of sophisticated and systematic techniques for reviewing emerging evidence. It also explores issues related to implementation of the guidelines through federal policy, the food supply, and consumer knowledge and behavior.

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But their parents should be.

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Pancreatic enzyme activity and plasma and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were measured in rats chronically fed a nonabsorbable lipid, sucrose polyester (SPE), to determine if the rat pancreas responds to SPE as a dietary lipid or a nonnutritive ingredient. Adult male rats were fed for 28 d a diet containing either 5% or 20% corn oil, 5% SPE, 16% and 4% hydrogenated palm oil (HPO), or 16% corn oil and 4% HPO. HPO is used to prevent anal leakage of unabsorbed oil when SPE is fed at high dietary levels. Since HPO and SPE are not absorbed, rats fed SPE derive their energy from protein and carbohydrate in the diet. The tissue levels of pancreatic enzymes in rats consuming high levels of SPE in the diet resemble those of rats eating a low fat diet in which energy is derived from carbohydrate and protein. Plasma and HDL cholesterol levels were lowest in the group consuming high levels of SPE, an observation that is consistent with previous reports. These data indicate that the pancreas responds to SPE as a nonnutritive ingredient rather than a digestible dietary lipid.