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.