We at Sip & Savor have been pointing out that the recent recommendations by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on diet do not reflect the complete scientific evidence we have on nutrition. Members of Congress are coming forward to say the same thing.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzel, D-Mo., stated this week that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee did not adhere to its charter authorized by Congress when it issued several recommendations based on unsound nutritional science.

Hartzel should know. She taught nutritional science for more than ten years. “The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee greatly overstepped its bounds in this report. The notion that the recommendations in this report were made based on selected data and excluded valuable nutritional information is appalling.”

Among other things, the DGAC recommended that people lower their intake of added sugars even though there is no metabolic difference between added sugars and intrinsic sugars. It also recommended people eat less red meat, but failed to offer scientific data for the reason to do so.

“Flagrant claims like that are cause for concern and call into question the validity of this report,” Hartzel said.

Hartzel has been joined by 70 House colleagues in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consider the widespread influence that the guidelines will have on Americans and the importance of sticking to the science when finalizing the Dietary Guidelines for America.

“We want to make sure that reports like this one, which can affect the lives of every single American, are based on sound science,” Hartzel says, “and don’t reflect the pre-determined policy positions of the individual DGAC members.  I urge and hope the agencies charged with finalizing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will stay within the confines of their charter and base the final recommendations on the most current, irrefutable nutritional science.”

Hartzel’s fellow Congressmen Michael Conaway, R-Texas, and Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., reiterated her concern in statements of their own.

We at Sip & Savor believe that the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans should be based on a totality of scientific evidence so Americans get real-world guidance that is achievable. We encourage the agencies to seek ways to help Americans achieve balance and moderation in their diet and not allow the DGAC to blame one or two ingredients for complex health challenges.