As the deadline for public comments regarding the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans nears, U.S. Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX) continues to discuss his concerns that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has stepped beyond its reach.
Conaway believes the committee potentially used biased information to develop recommendations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services.
Citing their responsibilities through the national Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990, Conaway is urging Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, to fully review and acknowledge all public comments before finalizing and publishing the new dietary guidelines.
“Members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee greatly exceeded their scope in developing recommendations for the Secretaries of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, confirmed by the overwhelming response during the public comment period,” Conaway said. “Before moving forward with the development of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the secretaries need to review all comments. The focus should be more on the quality of the 2015 guidelines and assurances that public input does matter. I again call on them to commit to fully reviewing all the comments and completely considering them before developing new dietary guidelines.”