The Physicians Committee’s Influence on the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) update and release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years. It was first released in 1980, and the next iteration will be the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a long history of advocating for Dietary Guidelines that are clear, inclusive, evidence-based, and devoid of industry influence.

In 1991, the Physicians Committee unveiled the New Four Food Groups, a healthful alternative to the USDA’s Eating Right Pyramid released a week later.

Four years later, the Physicians Committee and other leading medical experts urged the federal government to revamp the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) reported that vegetarian diets should be included in federal health policy.

In 1999, the Physicians Committee filed a lawsuit that argued that more than half of the DGAC members had financial ties to the meat, dairy, or egg industries. The following year, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the USDA violated federal law by hiding conflicts of interest in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

In 2010, the Physicians Committee presented the Power Plate to the USDA, encouraging the USDA to use it as a healthful alternative to the food pyramid. In January 2011, the Physicians Committee brought the Power Plate to the White House. That May, the USDA unveiled its new MyPlate, which is strikingly similar to the Physicians Committee’s Power Plate, eliminating the meat group.

When the 2015 DGAC released its scientific report, which the USDA used to develop the Dietary Guidelines, it cited Physicians Committee research showing the benefits of a plant-based diet for high blood pressure and, for the first time, listed vegetarian diets as one of three healthful diet patterns. 

But the egg industry also influenced the report to state that cholesterol is no longer “a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.” Following a Physicians Committee campaign including petitions, oral testimony, billboards, and threat of legal action, the final 2015 Dietary Guidelines, which were released in early 2016, rejected the egg industry’s efforts and strengthened recommendations for Americans to limit cholesterol consumption. The Physicians Committee ultimately filed a lawsuit against the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, alleging that the government had allowed the food industry and financial inducements to dictate the DGAC's recommendations on cholesterol.  

In 2019 and 2020, Physicians Committee doctors and dietitians testified before the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, urging it to recommend that the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans ditch the dairy and keep out low-carbohydrate diets.

The Physicians Committee continues to actively participate in the Dietary Guidelines revision process, most recently in anticipation for the 2025-2030 iteration. Both oral and written comments were provided to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, as well as the USDA and HHS. Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Anna Herby highlighted the many health benefits associated with plant-based diets and risks of consuming high amounts of saturated fat, which is primarily found in dairy and meat products, during their oral testimonies. The Physicians Committee reinforced this evidence-based position when 134 member physicians submitted a letter urging the USDA and HHS to prioritize beans, peas, and lentils in the final guidelines, in line with the DGAC’s recommendations.

The DGAC stated the need to both consider and prioritize health equity within the Scientific Report to most accurately reflect the diverse population of the United States. The Physicians Committee emphasized the need to move away from a blanket recommendation for multiple servings of dairy milk each day for all Americans because many people of color cannot consume lactose. Historically, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has recommended that dairy consumption is necessary for everyone, with a complete disregard for the high rates of lactose intolerance among people of color. Long-established research confirms that lactose intolerance (lactase nonpersistence) is present in the majority of African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Commercial products with enzymatically cleaved lactose are not the answer for these individuals. To this point, the DGAC’s decision to explicitly recommend that drinking water serve as the primary beverage in the next guidelines would be a long-overdue, but welcome, change.

The Physicians Committee also has drawn attention to the problems associated with the unrestricted industry influence on the revision process. Federal law prohibits checkoff programs from using their funds “in any manner ... for the purpose of influencing governmental policy or action.” The revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which federal nutrition programs are required to use by statute and regulation as a nutritional basis for the foods offered, is unequivocally a governmental policy action. Undaunted due to lack of enforcement of this prohibition, checkoff programs continue to attempt to influence the revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Physicians Committee has recommended that the agency properly enforce statutory prohibitions on checkoff programs that prevent them from unlawfully influencing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The  Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has continually taken an evidence-based approach to influencing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 2025-2030 guidelines, which are set to be released later this year, will hopefully rely heavily on the DGAC’s Scientific Report and the numerous public comments from tribal leaders, physicians, dietitians, and other public health experts who provided evidence for prioritizing plant-based food and beverages to best meet the needs of all Americans.