The American College of Lifestyle Medicine Applauds the Work of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) February 24, 2015 -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced its support of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).
“I think the advisory committee has done a stellar job,” noted ACLM President David Katz, MD. “Whole foods, in sensible combinations is what’s recommended, rather than isolated nutrients, which, for far too long, have unbalanced our diets.”
Data show that 80% of our nation’s healthcare costs are spent on the treatment of conditions that are lifestyle-related, with dietary pattern recognized as a primary driver.
The official Standards of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, adopted in 2012, state that “Nutrition is an essential element of Lifestyle Medicine practice; it is the underlying cause of many lifestyle diseases, and changing eating habits alone can reverse many lifestyle diseases.”
While the ACLM Standards acknowledge that “Nutrition is the most confusing and controversial area of Lifestyle Medicine for both healthcare professionals and patients,” it outlines that “The most current scientific evidence available supports the use of whole unprocessed or minimally processed plant foods as treatment for most of the lifestyle related illnesses in our population.”
In the 2015 DGAC report “The emphasis on plant foods is based both on the body of evidence related to human health, and quite appropriately, on considerations of sustainability,” said Katz. “Whatever the potential merits of, for instance, a Paleo diet, they are impractical for a huge population of humanity on a shrinking planet. The section in the advisory committee’s report devoted to sustainability is a very welcome addition.”
Before the committee report is translated into official guidelines, there is a period of public comment—from public health advocates and from industry alike. What exact dietary guidelines will emerge from this process remains to be seen. However, the DGAC committee has taken important steps in directing Americans away from the Standard American Diet that is heavily comprised of packaged, processed foods toward a far more health-promoting diet.
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About the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)
ACLM is a professional association of physicians and clinicians dedicated to the advancement and practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. Lifestyle Medicine is a branch of evidence-based medicine in which comprehensive lifestyle changes (including nutrition, physical activity, stress management, social support and environmental exposures) are used to help prevent, treat and even reverse the progression of many chronic diseases by addressing their underlying causes. Visit http://www.lifestylemedicine.org.
About Lifestyle Medicine 2015
Lifestyle Medicine 2015 is the nation’s premier medical conference focused on lifestyle medicine—lifestyle in medicine and lifestyle as medicine. Set for November 1-4, 2015 at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, TN, this CME accredited event delivers impressive keynotes, evidence-based educational sessions, research posters, and ample networking activities. Attendees from across the nation and around the world will gather to learn about Integrating Evidence into Practice and lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed healthcare system. Learn more and register at http://www.lifestylemedicine2015.org.
Susan Benigas, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, http://www.lifestylemedicine.org, +1 314-398-7343, [email protected]
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