NACS Participates in Policy Summit on Dietary Guidelines

Association joins former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and head of Let’s Move! in panel to address ways to support consumer adoption of healthy eating habits.

May 22, 2015

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard joined food and nutrition experts and policymakers to discuss how the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) can be implemented to encourage greater consumer understanding and adoption.

The DGA Summit brought together national leaders in food and nutrition policy, public health, academia, industry and government to engage in discussion focused on:

  • How the dietary guidelines can help the nation's ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly and low-income communities
  • How consumer behavior insights can be used to increase adoption of the dietary recommendations
  • How public and private sector stakeholders can support consumer adoption of the guidelines in communities across the country.

The Ohio State University (OSU) and National Geographic invited leading nutrition influencers from the public and private sector to convene, to amplify the need for relevant dietary guidelines that work for diverse consumers across the country. Lenard was a member of the closing panel that focused on exploring how collaboration can bring healthy eating to scale in the increasingly complex food environment. He noted that consumer demographics and preferences play a role in developing nutrition recommendations.

“Sometimes the dinner plate isn’t a plate – it’s a cupholder,” said Lenard, discussing how consumers often eat. He noted that convenience stores do offer a variety of on-the-go nutritious items, whether yogurt, smoothies, nuts or fruit in a cup. However, besides carrots, vegetables tend to be more problematic to eat on the go — or while driving. “Don’t eat kale salads while driving,” he joked with attendees.

Joining Lenard on the panel, which was moderated by OSU Professor of Food Policy Neal Hooker, was The Honorable Dan Glickman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center; Debra Eschmeyer, executive director of Let’s Move! and senior policy advisor for nutrition policy for The White House; and Hank Cardello, director of the Obesity Solutions Initiative for the Hudson Institute.

Speakers also pointed out that dietary guidance for Americans is especially important because there is a wide gap between well-intentioned policy and actual consumer behavior. “We gathered the nation's best experts and engaged stakeholders to brainstorm how these guidelines can be actionable, practical and achievable.  If we succeed with real improvement in consumer food habits, we will see real advancement in national health," said Dr. Ken Lee, director of The Ohio State Food Innovation Center.

Cardello underscored the opportunity for public and private stakeholders to help bring scale to the guidelines. "Efforts to improve the health of our nation are well served by both public and private sector initiatives that engage relevant stakeholders. … Retailers play a pivotal role when it comes to access, with many working to bring healthier foods to places that traditionally had limited access."
More information on the event, including an archived video of the Summit, is online at http://fic.osu.edu. You can also view pictures on Twitter by using #DGAsummit.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement