COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

In response to its charge, the committee recommends the text for the bulletin, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fourth edition, presented in this section. The committee offers additional suggestions concerning use and implementation of the guidelines and the process for development of future editions in a subsequent section (page 36).

Recommended Content of the Fourth Edition

The text for the fourth edition, presented on pages 5-19, is intended to serve as the primary dietary guidance message for the diverse American population. As in previous editions, the text offers advice, together with an exposition of the health associations that give the advice its importance. Because the Guidelines are directed to readers with different levels of scientific sophistication, the messages need to be clear and unambiguous. To this end, the proposed text makes limited use of the qualifying words and phrases - the probably's, whereas's, could's and might's - that fairly characterize the evolving science. The committee judges that the Guidelines accurately reflect current knowledge and that the advice is scientifically sound as well as prudent and practical.

After considering new scientific findings and experience with implementation accumulated since 1990, the committee concluded that while much of the third edition remains valid, changes in format and text are warranted. The changes are described and discussed on pages 20-35.