Addressing misinformation about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provides science-based advice on dietary intake to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. It is jointly published by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) every five years. As chronic diseases continue to rise to pervasive levels, helping the U.S. population follow the DGA is especially important for improving the health of our nation. The DGA is developed using a rigorous and transparent scientific process, and with the involvement of an independent, external committee of leading scientists. Career federal nutrition scientists who manage the process ensure the methods used to develop the DGA remain state-of-the-art. Unfortunately, misinformation about the scientific basis, transparency, and relevance of the DGA for the U.S. population threatens its credibility. The main objective of this article is to correct this misinformation with factual information about the process used to develop the DGA. The primary audience for the DGA includes policymakers and nutrition and health professionals who help individuals and families consume a healthy dietary pattern. Providing accurate information may bolster trust in the recommendations among these audiences while improving implementation across sectors to promote better adherence to the DGA, thereby improving diet quality among the U.S. population.