The federal government has released its 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, which it says focuses on the "big picture" with recommendations to help Americans make choices that add up to an overall healthy eating pattern.
Healthier eating is badly needed in this country. The report put together by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services notes that over the past century, deficiencies of essential nutrients have dramatically decreased, while at the same time, rates of chronic diseases—many of which are related to poor quality diet and physical inactivity—have increased. About half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overweight and obesity.