US government launches radical plan to fight obesity

THE US government, alarmed by Americans’ increasing weight, has issued radical new dietary guidelines advising them to exercise for about an hour a day, eat more fruits and vegetables and slash their intakes of the fats found in processed foods.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, considered the gold standard of nutrition advice, are revised every five years by the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture. They are being used to update the Food Guide Pyramid at a time when about 65% of Americans are overweight or obese.

The most dramatic, and likely to be the most controversial, recommendation is that adults do 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days to prevent weight gain and 60 to 90 minutes of daily physical activity to sustain weight loss.

They call for a minimum of 30 minutes a day to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Seeking an hour of exercise is “too daunting”, says obesity expert James Hill of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre.

“We can’t even get people to do 15 minutes, and now we’re asking them to do an hour. The 30-minute activity recommendation is a reasonable amount.”

Another potential controversy: There is no specific limit on trans fats, which are found in processed and fried foods and are linked to heart disease. The report suggests keeping trans-fat intake as low as possible.

The guidelines also call for five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and cutting back on sugar.

Additionally, they seek to lower the total fat intake to 20%-35% of calories, mostly from fats found in fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

The advice combines the latest research with common sense, says HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. Americans want a miracle weight-loss pill: “There’s not going to be a pill.”

Margo Wootan of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest fears that the government hasn’t allocated enough money for its message.

“It’s nice they put (the guidelines) on a Web site,” she said, “and some people will see them, but the majority of Americans never will.”