Social media is the best way now to see what diet is the “fad.”

Paleo? Macros? Ketogenic Diet?

Are we eating for health or weight loss? Or are they the same? Here, a brief look at the history of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services 40-year history of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans may explain how the nutrition industry got to where it is today. Or is it the diet industry…?

The first nutritional recommendations were published by Dr. Wilbur Atwater in 1894 as a farmers’ bulletin. In 1904, Dr. Atwood released a publication titled Principles of Nutrition and Nutritive Value of Food, supporting variety, proportions, moderation, affordability and suggested nutrient-rich foods with less fat, sugar and starch.

Interestingly, this recommendation preceded the discovery in 1910 of individual vitamins. Nutrition guidelines for children were published in 1916 and suggestions for choosing food for adults in 1917. Those remained in place through the 1920s.

During the Depression in 1933, another set of recommendations suggested foods at different cost levels. In 1941, the first Recommended Dietary Allowance was created for calories, protein, iron, calcium and major vitamins. During World War II, the USDA developed the “Basic 7” food groups to maintain adequate nutrition during wartime food rationing. The Basic 7 included: green and yellow vegetables; potatoes and other vegetables and fruit; milk and milk products; meat, poultry, fish or eggs; bread, flour and cereals; butter and fortified margarine. Suggestions were made for alternative foods more readily available at that time.

From 1956 through the 1970s, the Basic 7 was reduced to the Basic 4 food groups: milk, meat; vegetables and fruit and bread and cereal. In 1977, a Senate committee lead by Sen. George McGovern released the Dietary Goals for the United States, in response to findings that major health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases are diet related.

Between 1980 and 1990, the DGA answered the basic question: “What should you eat to stay healthy?” Seven familiar statements surfaced: food variety; avoid too much fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol; adequate starch and fiber; moderate alcohol, were recommended. Comically, one statement, “Maintain ideal weight,” morphed during this period with the word “ideal” changing to; desirable then healthy over the years.

The government established the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act in 1990. This required the USDA and HHS to issue dietary guideline reports every five years. In 1992, the food guide pyramid was introduced by the USDA, stating recommended portion sizes, previously not included and upper limits for total fat and saturated fat intake.

Added was information about body composition. The pyramid we recognize has the large base of bread, cereal, rice and pasta receiving 6-11 daily servings; vegetables next at 3-5 servings; fruits 2-4 servings, dairy (2-3); meats, nuts, legumes (2-3); and at the tip oils, sparingly. The original pyramid suggested by experts featured the large base as fruits and vegetables not breads and grains, because research supported eating more meats, fats and starchy grains could lead to increases in obesity and diabetes.

Large meat, grain and dairy industries were subsidized by the USDA. If Americans followed the guide, they would buy less of these products. The original pyramid recommended by nutrition experts was scrapped for the grain based one and not revised for another 12 years.

My friends, I have come to the end of my word limit for this month. This topic is so compelling, I don’t want to leave anything unexplained. I believe that with adequate education better decisions can be made. I will run Part 2 next month.

— Robin Gaudette is the aquatics wellness coordinator at the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District. Contact her at robin.gaudette@raprd.org.