Loma Linda Prof. Joins Federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Cttee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Joan Sabaté, Professor of Nutrition at Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health has been invited to join the 2020 National Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Dr. Sabaté is one of twenty nationally recognized scientists to be appointed to the committee, according to a statement released today by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar.

Dr. Sabaté will be joined on the committee by two other California academics : Dr. Kathryn Dewey and Dr. Barbara Schneeman, who are both Professors Emerita at the University of California, Davis, Department of Nutrition.

The independent advisory committee will review scientific evidence on topics and questions identified by the departments. Their review, along with public and agency comments, will help inform USDA and HHS’ development of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).

“USDA is committed to ensuring everything we do is data-driven and based in scientific facts, which is why this expert committee’s work in objectively evaluating the science is of the utmost importance to the departments and to this process,” said Secretary Perdue. “The committee will evaluate existing research and develop a report objectively, with an open mind.”

“The scientists we selected to serve on the committee are national leaders in the areas of nutrition and health,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “HHS, USDA, and all Americans will benefit from the collective experience and expertise of the committee, which will conduct a rigorous examination of the scientific evidence on several diet-related health outcomes, including the prevention of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which are three of the leading causes of death in the United States.”

The committee will begin work with a public meeting in the coming weeks. They will then review scientific evidence on specific nutrition and health related topics and scientific questions that, for the first time, reflect both public comments and federal agency input. Throughout their deliberations, the public and other stakeholders will be encouraged to provide comments and feedback.

“In our continuing commitment to transparency and customer service, we invite the American public to engage in this process,” said Secretary Perdue. “We want to hear from everyone and all viewpoints. I encourage everyone with an interest to attend public meetings and to send comments through the Federal Register once the committee begins their work.”

The next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will focus on dietary patterns of what Americans eat and drink as a whole, on average and over time, to help prevent disease and keep people healthy. Additionally, the review process will take a life-stage approach and will, for the first time, include pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies, providing food-based recommendations to help prevent diet-related chronic diseases and promote overall health.

The members of the committee were named as :

Jamy Ard, MD – Wake Forest School of Medicine

Regan Bailey, PhD, MPH, RD – Purdue University

Lydia Bazzano, MD, PhD – Tulane University

Carol Boushey, PhD, MPH, RD – University of Hawaii

Teresa Davis, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine

Kathryn Dewey, PhD – University of California, Davis

Sharon Donovan, PhD, RD – University of Illinois, Urbana

Steven Heymsfield, MD – Louisiana State University, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Ronald Kleinman, MD – Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Heather Leidy, PhD – University of Texas at Austin (Summer 2019)

Richard Mattes, PhD, MPH, RD – Purdue University

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, PhD, RD – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Timothy Naimi, MD, MPH – Boston University

Rachel Novotny, PhD, RDN, LD – University of Hawaii

Joan Sabaté, DrPH, MD – Loma Linda University

Barbara Schneeman, PhD – University of California, Davis

Linda Snetselaar, PhD, RD – University of Iowa

Jamie Stang, PhD – University of Minnesota

Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH – Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Chan School of Public Health

Linda Van Horn, PhD, RDN, LD – Northwestern University

Unclear at this stage is the weight the committee’s opinion will be given versus the voice of agribusiness or other industry-based lobbyists, an issue HHS has declined thus far to respond to.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to reduce food insecurity and promote nutritious diets among the American people. The agency administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provides science-based nutrition recommendations and serves as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy. For information and links, go to DietaryGuidelines.gov.

The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) provides leadership for disease prevention and health promotion initiatives on behalf of the HHS Secretary and as part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. ODPHP co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with USDA and leads the development of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. ODPHP also leads the Healthy People initiative, which sets evidence-based, 10-year national goals and objectives for improving the health of all Americans.