Do the US government’s Dietary Guidelines affect your personal decision making when it comes to health?

👍 Yes (24%) – "Generally, yes I use it as guidelines, but I don’t live by it. Policies are always going to be generalized and if I feel better drinking no alcohol/coffee/whatever and the guideline says that it’s beneficial to have x amount, then I’m not going to add it to my diet."

• "I’m currently trying to kick alcohol to the curb and while I don’t blindly follow recommendations of the surgeon general, increased awareness of the damaging effects of alcohol consumption that result from his statement will continue to make my mostly-sober choices easier to stick with."

👎 No (76%) – "People know their own bodies. Not to mention the government changes their mind about health benefits all the time so why base my life off what they say."

• "I read a lot of articles and books on research findings in nutrition so I can make my own decisions. I also think the government guidelines are too easily influenced by lobbyists representing companies who are more interested in profit than health."

"I say no and I’m a Registered Dietitian. The US Dietary Guidelines have so many financial and business factors outside of science and research, and are not to the true benefit of actual health. For example, we’re one of the only countries with dairy as an entire food group which is a result of Agriculture lobbyists to get it to on there. While dairy is an excellent (and enjoyable) source of calcium, it’s touted as the only option in the US. I have doubt to the research in alcohol and its effects. We know that it has harmful consequences and the definition of moderation can be very fuzzy for most average consumers. I suspect that big businesses have played a factor in its positive impacts, given that world research greatly opposes the findings."

• "It doesn't matter to me what studies say about drinking. The risks associated with drinking- such as addiction- are enough to limit consumption, even if there are health benefits to it."

"There’s historically been a lot of lobbying interests taken into account when the government dietary guidelines are created. Money wins over science a lot, so I don’t have a lot of trust in what’s put out by the government on this topic."