Committee for a Healthy Nation Gives USDA Feedback

Experts Testify that USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisors Ignored Science, Poor Health Indicators

More experts than ever before have come out against the proposed USDA dietary guidelines, saying that the pyramid concept has flopped, and produced the degenerating diseases that are crippling our nation. Here are some of the highlights from the critics at the July 8, 2010 public hearing.

I plan to post many of these testimonies in their entirety on my blog but here are some excerpts of the pithy and pointed arguments voiced by opponents of the DGAC’s plan.

Scientist Says Data Doesn’t Support Guidelines

Dr. Richard Feinman of the Nutrition and Metabolism Society testified as follows:

“The previous guidelines have failed to halt the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. In addition, recent data and re-evaluation of old data point in the opposite direction to the guidelines. For example, the supposed dangers of saturated fat, if they exist at all, have only been measured in the presence of high carbohydrate. A high fat diet in the presence of high carbohydrate is very different than a high fat diet in its absence. Recommendations to further lower saturated fat recommendations are not justified by the data.”

Read the rest of Richard Feinman’s testimony.

Nutrition Educator says Animal Fats are Full of Essential Nutrients

Sally Fallon Morell made a strong case against the low fat hypothesis:

“Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources. Furthermore, basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats and cholesterol in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL and compromises blood vessel function. High-carbohydrate diets, moreover, fail to satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain.

The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A, and D, found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in meat and seafood, as well as minerals like iron and zinc. Low intakes of vitamin K2, moreover, are associated with increases in the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer, and the main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheeses.”

See Sally’s full testimony on the WAPF site.

Medical Doctor says Guidelines are Causing Obesity and Disease Epidemic

Dr. John Salerno is a practicing physician in New York City. He was the only medical doctor who submitted oral testimony. Here is an excerpt:

“In my 20 year practice of medicine in New York City, I have treated many patients whose health had been severely compromised by excluding these necessary nutrients in their daily diet. It is my experience, backed up by scientific studies, that low fat diets have caused many of today’s lifestyle ailments including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a high requirement for saturated fats in the cell membranes, brain and other organs. If we do not eat saturated fats, the body makes fat from refined carbohydrates, leading to rapid weight gain and chronic illness.”

Here is the rest of Salerno’s testimony on his Silver Cloud Diet blog.

Trade Industry Expert Blasts Salt Strictures

Morton Satin, the Salt Institute Vice President of Science and Research, said that:

“The Dietary Guidelines have become far more a reflection of activist ideology than sound science. The purpose of the 5-year review process is to objectively examine all the new evidence before making recommendations, yet, before the process began, key Committee members openly stated the expected outcomes regarding salt, thereby compromising the process and making any final recommendations a forgone conclusion,” Satin said.

See the Salt Institute press release New dietary guidelines on sodium will increase obesity and health risks.

Masters of Nutrition Student Shocked at Departure from Scientific Evidence

Adele Hite, a student of nutrition at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who lost 60 lbs on a low carb diet, spoke with fire and passion, saying:

“The Committee’s emphasis on low-fat, whole-grain food products not only encourages consumers to purchase food products instead of real food, it supports the food industry in passing off these highly-processed food-like substances as “healthy” food choices. While the Committee pays lip-service to health care reform’s emphasis on evidence-based recommendations, it continues to disregard or misrepresent science that does not support a diet based on highly processed grain, cereal, and dairy products.”

Professor Catches Committee Avoiding Latest Science

Dr. Pramod Khosla, Ph.D, Associate professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, accused the DGAC of “sidestepping the science” in continuing to ask the public to avoid saturated fat. He cited a highly publicized meta-analysis showing that there is no significant evidence that dietary saturated fat increases risk of cardiovascular or heart disease. He went on to say that what replaces the saturated fat is of greater concern.

Compelling Testimonies from Citizens and Low Carb Research Scientist

Jimmy Moore, low carb diet advocate spoke for the hundreds of thousands of American’s who have conquered obesity and diabetes by using a low carb approach. Check out this blog about his trip to Washington,  Jimmy Moore speaks out against the anti-fat guidelines.

Nutrition researcher, Dr. Jeff Volek spoke about the DGAC ignoring evidence of the benefits of low carb diets for weight loss and other health indicators, such as blood profile, insulin response. Read more about Volek’s field of research on the University of Connecticut website. See the entire text of Volek’s testimony, USDA Low Fat, High Carb Plan Doesn’t Work for Many.

Kathryne Pirtle, author, Performance without Pain told her harrowing story of how following the USDA dietary guidelines nearly destroyed her career and almost ended her life. Here is Kathryne Pirtle’s testimony last week on this blog.

Alyce Ortuzar, Well Mind Association is a Weston A. Price Foundation member who gave a powerful testimony near the end of the hearing. I will be running her full testimony on the blog tomorrow. Here is Ortuzar’s article about school lunch programs.

Other Media Coverage

Besides the Fox Morning News segment with Richard Feinman, look for articles to be forthcoming from Cheesemarket News, Food Chemical News, Rose Gilbert’s Home Design column carried in 200 newspapers, Des Moines Register. Also, a major nutrition trade magazine has asked the Nutrition and Metabolism Society to submit an article on the subject for an upcoming issue.

See my other post today, Publicists Notes on USDA Dietary Guidelines Project.

Kimberly Hartke is the publicist for Weston A. Price Foundation.