The USDA recently unveiled a new Web site that provides easy access to federal government information on nutrition. Providing accurate scientific information on nutrition and dietary guidelines is critical to the public's ability to make the right choices when trying to curb obesity and other food-related diseases, said former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. The online resource will make government information on nutrition, healthy eating and physical activity more easily accessible to consumers. Federally supported research shows that weight loss is a major concern for many Americans.
Surveys consistently reveal that most adults are trying to lose or maintain weight.
Currently, as many as half of all adult Americans are considered overweight or obese and childhood obesity has doubled in the past 20 years. The site contains valuable information that can be used in the treatment and prevention of disease and will serve as a reliable source of nutritional information and dietary guidance. The new online resource includes specialized nutrition information for infants, children, adult women and men, and senior adults. It also links to information about nutrition and food assistance programs including the Food Stamp Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and the School Lunch and Breakfast programs and to federally supported research, reports and brochures as well as funding opportunities in the government. Web site users will find information on the food guide pyramid, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, dietary supplements, fitness and food safety.