The U.S. Surgeon General's landmark nutrition and health report confirms CHN Director Scott Grundy's long-standing message that Americans need to reform their eating habits. According to Dr. C. Everett Koop's report, diets high in fat--especially saturated fat--increase your risk for coronary heart disease, some types of cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and obesity. The 712-page report issued July 27 was based on a four-year review of 2,500 studies. It is the first comprehensive nutrition document from the Public Health Service.
"I you are among the two out of three Americans who do not smoke or drink excessively, your choice of diet can influence your long-term health prospects more than any other action you might take," Koop said at a Washington, D.C., news conference. Calling overconsumption of fats and some other foods a major national health problem, Koop voiced hope that his report would have the impact of the 1964 Surgeon General's report on the hazards of smoking. He noted that this new report is based on far more scientific data than the tobacco report.
Koop echoed concerns expressed by Grundy and other nutrition scientists that fat accounts for 37 percent of the calorie intake of most Americans. "Of greatest concern is our excessive intake of fat and its relationship to risk for chronic diseases," said Koop, linking unhealthy diet to five of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States.
Grundy helped draft American Heart Association and National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, which advise no more than 30 percent of calories come from fat and no more than 10-percent from saturated fats.
Protein should comprise 15 percent of calories, carbohydrates 55 percent, with cholesterol intake at no more than 300 milligrams a day. Koop urged the following broad recommendations for a healthier diet:
- Eat less fat, such as butter, untrimmed meat and palm oil
- Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grain foods, fish, poultry without skin, beans, peas, low-fat dairy products, cereals, increasing fiber and complex carbohydrates
- Limit alcohol consumption to two drinks a day or less
- Use less salt at table and in food preparation
Grundy called the report "a major step toward establishing the concept that diet has a major impact on the health of Americans. "The Surgeon General's statement should motivate more people to modify their diets and spur more research leading to the design of healthier foods," Grundy said. He added that CHN research currently focuses on nutritional links to cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, as well as obesity, cholesterol and coronary heart disease--the issues targeted by Koop's report.
The importance of Grundy's work is reinforced by the Surgeon General's report, according to Dr. Philip O'B. Montgomery, Jr., scientific advisor to the Friends of the Center for Human Nutrition. "The document clearly states that Americans risk dying because of their diet," Montgomery said. "This news comes as no surprise to those of us familiar with CHN's pioneering studies about the role of diet in the prevention and treatment of disease."
Research by Grundy and his colleagues contributed to the scientific underpinning for the report, said Montgomery. He noted that CHN studies underway now also address many of the unresolved issues raised by the Surgeon General. "These future discoveries must not be delayed for any lack of funding support," he said, noting the importance of the Friends' involvement. Over the past four years, the Friends have provided significant support to the Center with donations.
