Ep 208 Dietary Guidelines Part 1: Who’s behind these guidelines?

The Origins of Dietary Advice: From Scurvy to the First Guidelines

The episode opens with a dramatic narrative about a con artist, then transitions into a historical exploration of early dietary guidance. It traces the roots of nutritional science to 18th-century military needs, particularly the fight against scurvy, and highlights the 1835 British law requiring lemon juice on ships as the first governmental dietary guideline. It then introduces W.O. Atwater, the USDA's first nutrition researcher, who pioneered the breakdown of food into macronutrients and recommended a diet high in protein for poor families.

The 1917 Guidelines: A Blueprint for the Modern Food Pyramid

The hosts examine the 1917 USDA pamphlet 'How to Select Foods'—the first formal U.S. dietary guidelines—written by Caroline Hunt and Helen Atwater. It introduced food groups, serving suggestions, and emphasized micronutrients. The episode highlights the absurdity of butter being its own food group and the high protein recommendations (125g/day), which were later questioned by researchers. This era marked the beginning of food producers using guidelines to market their products as 'nutrient-rich'.

Wartime Confusion: The Shifting Food Groups of the 1940s

During World War II, the USDA issued contradictory guidance, including the 'Basic Seven' food groups—where milk, eggs, butter, and meat were each separate categories. This reflected a focus on preventing deficiencies during rationing. The episode notes that meat was the only food group with a strict daily limit, while others had 'or more' recommendations, revealing a clear bias toward promoting dairy and fat consumption.