One standard set of nutritional guidelines will be published in the July 27, 1999, issue of Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association. The Unified Dietary Guidelines reflect the guidelines for a healthy diet already offered by the American Cancer Society (ACS), according to Abby Bloch, PhD, RD, chair of the ACS nutrition and physical activity advisory board.

"It's what the ACS has been saying all along. The emphasis is on eating a variety of foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, as well as a lot of cereal fibers, with very little simple sugar or high-fat foods, especially animal foods," said Dr. Bloch, who helped lead the effort to publish unified guidelines.

The unified guidelines will likely reduce the risk of many chronic diseases related to diet and physical activity, including heart disease and cancer—the first and second causes of death in the US , Dr. Bloch said. The guidelines have been approved by the nation's top health organizations: the ACS, the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institutes of Health. The ACS's own guidelines have not changed. "Our guidelines are consistent with the Unified Dietary Guidelines and will continue to be used to educate the public about how to reduce their risk of cancer," said Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, nutrition and physical activity director for the ACS.

Confused Cooks Now Have Answers
As a long-time teacher of "healthy eating" classes, Dr. Bloch has encountered a fair number of confused cooks. "People want to prevent cancer and heart disease and hypertension and stroke and keep their kids healthy," she said. "People wanted to know, 'What are we supposed to do?'"

According to the guidelines, the easiest ways to accomplish these goals are to:

• eat a variety of foods;
• choose most of what you eat from plant sources;
• eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day;
• eat six or more servings of bread, pasta, and cereal grains each day;
• eat high-fat foods sparingly, especially those from animal sources;
• keep your intake of simple sugars to a minimum.

Nearly five decades of research have proven the wisdom of those guidelines, Dr. Bloch added. However, not all Americans are following them. An estimated one-third of the annual 500,000 cancer deaths in the US is related to an unhealthy diet. Simply changing the way we eat can change that statistic, Dr. Bloch added. "Essentially, you need to make sure that your diet contains enough vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients," she said.

Americans are Overeating
Statistics show average overall fat consumption is down to about 34 percent of calories in the average American diet, compared to 40 percent a few years ago. However, people are increasingly becoming obese.

The numbers on reduced fat intake hide a bigger problem: Americans are eating far too many calories, especially those hidden in the hundreds of fat-free food products that have flooded supermarkets, Doyle said. "These may be fat-free foods, but if you eat too many calories, your body may turn those extra calories into fat," she said.

The other big problem is lack of physical activity. "People aren't burning up all the calories they consume in a day's time," said Doyle. "You don't have to run a marathon, but you do have to get off the couch." The ACS advises people to get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days. And, as research has shown, even activity in short 10- to15-minute increments adds up in health benefits.

Doyle advises writing down every food item you eat, including the donut you grabbed at the 10 a.m. meeting at the office. "Too often, people just are not aware of what they are eating." She also suggests keeping a written record of the activity you get during the day, including those short spurts of activity. "It's a really important way to see progress," said Doyle. "You may not be seeing it immediately on a scale or in your clothes, but you will eventually see the benefits."