Storms brew over dietary guidelines

Both the UK and US Governments are considering new national dietary guidelines. On the whole, it looks as if there’s:

There are also some curious refinements of policy being proposed:

In Britain, ready meals and pizzas could be included in the recommended 5 a day for vegetables.
In the US, aspartame comes up for a caution while caffeine is given more of an all-clear
And the US recommendations drop all concerns about cholesterol.

The background to the new guidelines is disturbing on high obesity and low achievement of basic nutrition goals.

The solutions envisaged stray into the realms of sustainability and taxation.

It’s an extremely complex area because people will always choose with their purses and taste buds.

But we unquestionably have to do better than our track record so far.