American Dietetic Association Says New Dietary Reference Intakes Recognize One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes To Healthful Diet

9/5/2002

From: Lori Ferme, 800-877-1600 ext. 4802 Bridget McManamon, 800-877-1600 ext. 4769 Tom Ryan, 800-877-1600 ext. 4894 all of the American Dietetic Association

CHICAGO, Sept. 5 -- The new Dietary Reference Intakes for macronutrients, released Thursday, September 5, by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, represent what dietetics professionals of the American Dietetic Association have been counseling for many years, there is no magic bullet for safe and healthful weight management.

"The new guidelines recognize that people are not all alike, that one size does not fit all when it comes to planning and achieving a healthful diet," said registered dietitian and ADA President Julie O'Sullivan Maillet. The flexibility offered by the new DRIs underscores the need for consumers to work with health-care providers such as dietetics professionals, whose expertise is in helping people develop healthful eating plans suited to them personally, Maillet said.

The DRIs may have their greatest value, Maillet said, as a textbook for dietetics professionals in helping individual consumers develop realistic, individualized eating plans that are right for them.

The recommendation that everyone engage in at least an hour per day of physical activity also supports ADA's position that diet and activity are equally important, "consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with regular physical activity, all foods can fit into a healthful diet."

In recommending ranges for consumption of protein, fat and carbohydrate, for example, instead of exact percentages of calories or numbers of grams, Maillet said the DRIs reinforce ADA's longstanding position that the most effective eating plans emphasize the "total diet," or overall pattern of foods a person eats, rather than any one food or nutrient.

"Eating a variety of foods can also maximize people's opportunity to get all the nutrients they need and to reduce their risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, kidney disease and heart disease," Maillet said.

"The acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges (AMDR) are brand new, and in some cases such as proteins they vary widely -- from 10 to 35 percent of a person's total daily calories," Maillet said. "Many consumers may have difficulty understanding the ranges and determining where they belong in the range for protein." Registered dietitians translate how the new DRIs fit into individual lifestyles. Maillet called the development of the DRIs "an exceptional collaboration between the scientific community and the government" that has been strongly supported by ADA since their inception.

"Through the years of scientific research and analysis that went into developing the new reference intakes, we still see that, even at its cutting edge, nutrition science continues to evolve," Maillet said. "What may be the best approach for one person may not be the answer for another individual."

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based ADA is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting nutrition, health and well-being. Visit ADA at www.eatright.org.