2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

On Monday, the government published an updated version of their dietary recommendations. This is the moment when I realized I am a nutrition nerd, because I immediately went online and downloaded the report in its entirety so I could read it.

Some of the big things the guidelines now focus on:

Sustaining a healthy weight by maintaining a calorie balance over time - for us that simply means continuing to stick to our Daily PointsPlus targets. If you're doing that, you're already on the road to following that guideline.

Choosing nutrient-dense foods - can you say Power Foods? This is the easiest way for you to find foods that have higher eating satisfaction, lower sugar, lower sodium, healthier fat, and more fiber. That's exactly what the dietary guidelines are calling for!

Environment and behavior modification are key to making the lifestyle changes necessary for weight loss and weight maintenance - you don't say? We've been saying that for years at Weight Watchers. That's why we say to Manage Your Environment. And Manage Your Feelings. I'm using capitals because we have action sheets for those in every meeting room!

Sodium intake should be limited to 2,300mg per day and those who are 51+, anyone who is African American, or has hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should limit intake to 1,500mg - the Weight Watchers plan has never specifically issued any guidance on sodium, but we have always encouraged members to default to what the government-issued dietary guidelines have been saying. Keep in mind that given the state of health in this country, more than half of us fit into the special category that should limit intake to 1,500mg per day. When the average intake in this country is 3,400mg per day, you can see there's work to be done. Once again, Power Foods will be a key factor in helping you cut the salt.

So if you'd been hearing about the new guidelines and wondering how that would impact your Weight Watchers life...it really doesn't. These guidelines remain consistent with the program and behaviors we've been teaching in meeting rooms for years. What we need is to get the entire country to get on board. Just do it!