Overview

As the first step in the development process of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (Dietary Guidelines), the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) are releasing proposed scientific questions for public comment. The public comment period will be open for 30 days starting April 15, 2022, through May 16, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET. HHS and USDA are committed to transparency and providing opportunities for public participation during this five-step process leading up to the release of the Dietary Guidelines in 2025.

Process to Develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030

Updating the Dietary Guidelines is a multi-year, multi-step process. First, HHS and USDA are requesting public comments on the proposed scientific questions. Next, there will be a call for nominations from the public and the appointment of a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee will then conduct a review of the evidence related to the scientific questions, which culminates in the submission of a scientific reportto the Secretaries of HHS and USDA.

The Committee will discuss its work in public meetings and supporting materials will be provided to the public through DietaryGuidelines.gov. HHS and USDA will consider the Committee’s report, along with federal agency and public comments, as they develop the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines. Once released, the new edition is implemented throughout the nutrition and health community both within and outside of the federal government.

About the Proposed Scientific Questions

The proposed questions are available on DietaryGuidelines.gov and focus on diet and health outcomes across the entire lifespan. This includes the relationship between diet and risk of overweight and obesity with a new emphasis on weight loss and weight maintenance. New questions also address ultra-processed foods and food-based strategies that can be used by individuals and families to support implementation of the Dietary Guidelines and help prevent or manage overweight and obesity.

All prioritized scientific questions will be reviewed with a health equity lens to ensure that resulting guidance in the Dietary Guidelines is inclusive of people with diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.

HHS and USDA proposed these scientific questions based on the following criteria:

• Relevance – Question is within scope of the Dietary Guidelines and its focus on food-based recommendations, not clinical guidelines for medical treatment.
• Importance– Question addresses an area of substantial public health concern, uncertainty, and/or knowledge gap.
• Potential Impact to Federal Programs– There is a high probability that the question will provide the scientific foundation for guidance that would inform federal food and nutrition policies and programs.
• Avoiding Duplication– Question is not addressed through existing or planned evidence-based federal guidance (other than the Dietary Guidelines).