The U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) current strategic goals for 2018-2022 includes seven goals, two of which counteract each other. One objective is to “Promote American agricultural products and exports”. Another is to “Provide all Americans access to a safe, nutritious and secure food supply.” The USDA along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also responsible for setting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
Having the ability to promote (sell) U.S. agricultural products while deciding the US dietary guidelines creates a problem. In most cases, the foods subsidized by US taxpayer dollars are not necessarily the healthiest for the public good.
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My Plate: Visualizing guidelines
The My Plate diagram has come along way from that in the 90’s of the food pyramid in which now half of the plate is fruits and vegetables and meat is now replaced with any protein. The one issue is when it comes to the glass of fluid milk with every meal.
Image credits: Food Pyramid My Plate
Lactose intolerance is prevalent among all races at varying levels. The NIH reports lactose intolerance frequency as the following:
“Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities. Intolerance is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.”
Lactose Intolerance Rates NIH
If 65% or more (often referred to as a majority) of our US population is lactose intolerant, then why is the USDA recommending that all 100% of US citizens consume something on a daily basis that they can’t digest?
The USDA still maintains an entire branch of subsidies for dairy products in the US, as it does for sugar: Agricultural Subsidies. What would be the point of having subsidies if dairy farmers couldn’t sell their product?
Updated Healthy Eating Plate
Harvard has since adjusted the recommended my plate to reflect this. The common marketing claim that dairy is a great source of calcium has been followed up by the fact that calcium can also be found in plant sources (such as green leafy vegetables).
Is dairy then a requirement for a healthy diet? Scientifically speaking, dairy is not a requirement for a healthy diet, and there is evidence showing it is harmful over the long term. To be fair, the USDA is an amazing institution that does a lot of great work, however it’s two mandated objectives are in conflict with one another.
What should we do?
We should always question any government bodies decision when it is simultaneously tied with financial incentives as it may not be in the public’s best interest.
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