How The US Dietary Guidelines Could Be Changing In 2025

Sorting through the plethora of diets and eating styles out there to find the one that best suits you can sometimes seem daunting. On the one hand, there's the undeniable rise of plant-based eating and the praises its adherents sing; on the other, the increasing popularity of meat-heavy keto. There's Whole30, paleo, and so many more options that can leave a person feeling a bit overwhelmed.

In order to help people living in the United States make better choices when it comes to selecting foods that promote a healthy lifestyle, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) release their "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" every five years. The current iteration promotes nutrient-dense foods while limiting those high in added sugars and saturated fats, and also has distinct recommendations for those at different stages of life, from birth through old age (via USDA). Those guidelines, which span the years of 2020 to 2025, will be followed up with a new edition in a few years, and the agencies are currently formulating the updated guidelines — and asking Americans for their input.

Recently on the USDA website, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans announced that research and development for its 2025 to 2030 guidelines is already underway. In doing so, the group has come up with a list of scientific questions that will be used to inform the updated guidelines, including those examining the relationship between dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases including diabetes and dementia, as well as how sweetened beverages can increase the risk type 2 diabetes and weight loss or gain.

As noted in the announcement, the new guidelines will probe the relationship between dietary habits and the country's rising levels of obesity (via CDC), placing "a new emphasis on weight loss and weight maintenance." The document also notes that the guidelines will be developed with an eye towards diversity, making them achievable for people of varying racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.

The group is asking for feedback on the questions through May 16, which can be given via comments submitted on the website.