Explain the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and discuss the recommendations for meeting those guidelines.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). If followed the guidelines are meant to promote longer, healthier, and more active lives (Sizer & Whitney, 2011). The Dietary Guide for Americans 2010 recommends the following:

1.      Balancing calories to maintain weight: This area focuses on improving eating habits and participating in physical activity to balance calories and manage healthy body weight (Sizer & Whitney, 2011).

2.      Foods and food components to reduce: The next area advises people to reduce their intakes of certain foods and food components such as sodium, saturated and trans fatty acids, cholesterol, solid fats, added sugars, refined grain products, and alcoholic beverages (Sizer & Whitney, 2011).

3.      Foods and nutrients to increase: The third area encourages consumers to select a variety of fruits and vegetable, whole grains, and low-fat milk products and protein foods (Sizer & Whitney, 2011).

4.      Building healthy eating patterns: The last area helps consumers to build healthy eating patterns that meet nutrient and energy needs while reducing the risk of foodbourne illnesses (Sizer & Whitney, 2011).

To conclude this blog and part of the final, I have to say I agree with the guidelines. I have followed them before and I feel they work. The problem is commitment and I failed to commit to a healthy lifestyle. These four recommendations encompass nearly everyone and if followed one decreases the chance of chronic disease.

Erin Christine Dorn