138 Unit 2 Nutrition and Wellness
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
This edition of the Guidelines emphasizes
the importance of healthy dietary patterns at
every life stage and includes recommendations
for infants and toddlers for the first time. A
basic premise of the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines
is that most people, regardless of their health
status, can benefit from shifting food and
beverage choices to healthy dietary patterns. The
sooner changes are made, the sooner positive
effects will be enjoyed.
Follow a Healthy Dietary Pattern at Every
Life Stage
There is more than one healthy dietary
pattern consumers may choose to follow. The
Guidelines uses the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary
Pattern as an example, but also provides two
other healthy dietary patterns: Mediterranean-
style and vegetarian. When followed, these
dietary patterns provide the nutrients needed for
health. Eating healthfully is important at every
life stage—infancy, toddlerhood, childhood,
adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, lactation, and
older adulthood. The Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary
Pattern can be followed by Americans of any
age, race, ethnicity, or sex. When healthy dietary
patterns are established early and are sustained
throughout life, the positive effect on health can
be significant. On the other hand, high intakes
of foods and beverages that contain much added
sugar, saturated fat, and sodium can increase the
risk for developing chronic diseases. Fortunately,
any efforts to embrace a healthy dietary pattern
at any stage of life can improve health.
Regardless which dietary pattern is used,
the calorie level must be appropriate. The proper
calorie level will help you achieve and main-
tain a healthy body weight. The total number of
calories a person needs depends on the individ-
ual’s age, sex, height, weight, level of physical
activity, and pregnancy or lactation status. The
total number of calories needed is also affected
by an individual’s need to gain, lose, or maintain
weight.
In the United States, a main reason for poor
health and increased disease risk is overweight.
Being overweight is a risk factor for many health
conditions, including heart disease and many
types of cancer. Following the advice from the
Dietary Guidelines will help people who have a
healthy body weight avoid weight gain. It will
help people who are overweight lose excess
pounds and improve their weight status.
Body weight is partly due to how many calo-
ries people consume through foods and bever-
ages. It is also the result of how many calories are
burned through movement and body functions.
When calories consumed equal calories burned,
Learn About…
Types of DRI
Values
Different types of DRI values are set
for different nutrients. Values for some nutrients are
expressed as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs).
Values for other nutrients are expressed as Adequate
Intakes (AIs). The difference between these types of
values has to do with the amount of research avail-
able to nutrition experts. (AIs are used when there is
insufficient evidence to establish an RDA.)
What is important to remember is that both
types of values can be used as guides to daily
nutrient intake. For instance, you might use them
to assess whether the latest fad diet provides
enough of all the needed nutrients. These values
could also help you decide whether a food
product promoted to be nutritious really lives up
to its advertising claims.
One other type of DRI value is the Tolerable
Upper Intake Level (UL). This is the highest level of
daily intake of a nutrient that is unlikely to pose
risks of adverse health effects. Keep in mind that
ULs are not intended to be recommended levels of
intake. Health experts have found no advantage
to consuming more than the RDA or AI of any
nutrient. As intake increases above the UL, the
risk of adverse effects increases. People can use
ULs to check whether they might be consuming
too much of any nutrient. See Appendix A,
“Nutritional Goals for Age-Sex Groups.”
Know and Apply
1. Use DRI values to explain the concept of
nutrient toxicity.
2. Give an example of professionals who are
likely to use DRI values in their work and
explain how they might use them.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
This edition of the Guidelines emphasizes
the importance of healthy dietary patterns at
every life stage and includes recommendations
for infants and toddlers for the first time. A
basic premise of the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines
is that most people, regardless of their health
status, can benefit from shifting food and
beverage choices to healthy dietary patterns. The
sooner changes are made, the sooner positive
effects will be enjoyed.
Follow a Healthy Dietary Pattern at Every
Life Stage
There is more than one healthy dietary
pattern consumers may choose to follow. The
Guidelines uses the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary
Pattern as an example, but also provides two
other healthy dietary patterns: Mediterranean-
style and vegetarian. When followed, these
dietary patterns provide the nutrients needed for
health. Eating healthfully is important at every
life stage—infancy, toddlerhood, childhood,
adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, lactation, and
older adulthood. The Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary
Pattern can be followed by Americans of any
age, race, ethnicity, or sex. When healthy dietary
patterns are established early and are sustained
throughout life, the positive effect on health can
be significant. On the other hand, high intakes
of foods and beverages that contain much added
sugar, saturated fat, and sodium can increase the
risk for developing chronic diseases. Fortunately,
any efforts to embrace a healthy dietary pattern
at any stage of life can improve health.
Regardless which dietary pattern is used,
the calorie level must be appropriate. The proper
calorie level will help you achieve and main-
tain a healthy body weight. The total number of
calories a person needs depends on the individ-
ual’s age, sex, height, weight, level of physical
activity, and pregnancy or lactation status. The
total number of calories needed is also affected
by an individual’s need to gain, lose, or maintain
weight.
In the United States, a main reason for poor
health and increased disease risk is overweight.
Being overweight is a risk factor for many health
conditions, including heart disease and many
types of cancer. Following the advice from the
Dietary Guidelines will help people who have a
healthy body weight avoid weight gain. It will
help people who are overweight lose excess
pounds and improve their weight status.
Body weight is partly due to how many calo-
ries people consume through foods and bever-
ages. It is also the result of how many calories are
burned through movement and body functions.
When calories consumed equal calories burned,
Learn About…
Types of DRI
Values
Different types of DRI values are set
for different nutrients. Values for some nutrients are
expressed as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs).
Values for other nutrients are expressed as Adequate
Intakes (AIs). The difference between these types of
values has to do with the amount of research avail-
able to nutrition experts. (AIs are used when there is
insufficient evidence to establish an RDA.)
What is important to remember is that both
types of values can be used as guides to daily
nutrient intake. For instance, you might use them
to assess whether the latest fad diet provides
enough of all the needed nutrients. These values
could also help you decide whether a food
product promoted to be nutritious really lives up
to its advertising claims.
One other type of DRI value is the Tolerable
Upper Intake Level (UL). This is the highest level of
daily intake of a nutrient that is unlikely to pose
risks of adverse health effects. Keep in mind that
ULs are not intended to be recommended levels of
intake. Health experts have found no advantage
to consuming more than the RDA or AI of any
nutrient. As intake increases above the UL, the
risk of adverse effects increases. People can use
ULs to check whether they might be consuming
too much of any nutrient. See Appendix A,
“Nutritional Goals for Age-Sex Groups.”
Know and Apply
1. Use DRI values to explain the concept of
nutrient toxicity.
2. Give an example of professionals who are
likely to use DRI values in their work and
explain how they might use them.