New Dietary Guidelines Promote Rancor Among Republicans

Every five years, the U.S government releases dietary guidelines that are meant to direct the public, as well as industry, toward better eating habits. But this latest round of recommendations has caused a stir among politicians, who claim the current guidelines have crossed the line.

The report, which was released earlier this year, was produced by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, an independent group of health professionals that included 14 doctors and nutrition scientists. The guidelines have wide-ranging implications, especially for the food industry, since they impact everything from consumer purchases to lunchroom cafeterias. But the latest controversy surrounds one of two major shifts highlighted in this year's guidelines.

The first major recommendation is to do away with guidelines limiting total fat intake. Instead, health officials recommend focusing on reducing saturated fats, which are responsible for the majority of health risks, and focusing on healthier fats, like those found in nuts and certain oils.

"We wanted the emphasis to be on fat quality rather than total fat, because the evidence really emphasizes that saturated fat is the driver of risk rather than total fat intake," Barbara Millen, president of Millennium Prevention and chair of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, told CNN.

But this isn't what riled up the politicians, especially Republicans. It's the recommendation to limit the amount of meat in the diet, and thereby focus on vegetables, that has spurred a flurry of activity among representatives. They are now in the process of passing bills to limit the types of recommendations government can make through the dietary guidelines. And that's because for the first time, the guidelines not only recommend a shift away from meat for health reasons, they also state it is in the best interest of the planet.

It's no secret the meat lobby has been an ardent supporter of Republican politicians. According to the Center for Responsive Politics Opensecrets.org project, "The industry is a strong supporter of the GOP, and has given the party more than three-quarters of the $10 million of its contributions made since the 1990 election cycle."

The North American Meat Institute has even put together a movement to combat the push for less meat in the diet, proclaiming, "Hands off my hot dog!" as part of their Change.org petition.

Congressional Republicans are proposing two separate bills that would challenge the way the guidelines are established.

Dietary guidelines are devised based on scientific testing. But the scientific evidence that directs the guidelines is ranked according to its strength, ranging from low, to moderate, to high. The new recommendation for increased plant consumption, especially as it impacts our planet, was based on science that received a "moderate" score, which has now become the target of the Republican bills. They are pushing to eliminate recommendations based on research scoring less than a "high" score, claiming government should limit its recommendations to those supported by the strongest science.

Both the Senate and House versions of the bills have already been approved. Advocates on both sides of the debate will have to wait and see how the rest of the debate plays out.