	Introduction

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provides federally developed food-based recommendations for Americans two years of age and older, designed to promote health and prevent disease. As mandated by the 1990 National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act ( P.L. 101-445 ), the guidelines are to be reviewed and updated at least every five years by the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA). It is an evidence-based and authoritative policy document that serves as the basis for nutrition policies and programs in the United States, including the National School Lunch Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In 1987, a House Committee on Appropriations conference report directed HHS and USDA to "reestablish a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Group on a periodic basis. This Advisory Group will review the scientific data relevant to nutritional guidance and make recommendations on appropriate changes to the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services." The 1995 DGA was the first statutorily mandated ( P.L. The experts' work is solely advisory and time-limited. The DGAC provides an advisory scientific report to the Secretaries of HHS and USDA, who consider the report when writing the final DGA policy document. The Secretaries used that report, along with input from other federal agencies and public comments, to develop the final policy document, which was released on January 7, 2016. Which Key Issues Were Raised by Stakeholders with the 2015 DGAC's Report? HHS and USDA received over 29,000 written comments during the 75-day comment period, as well as 73 oral comments at a March 2015 public meeting. Stakeholders flagged several issues with the 2015 DGAC's report, particularly with the scope of the DGAC's recommendations, the process by which the DGAC made its conclusions and recommendations, and concerns over several specific recommendations. The 2015-2020 DGA

		What Were the Recommendations in the 2015-2020 DGA? The 2015-2020 DGA consists of five overarching guidelines, which are accompanied by "Key Recommendations" that provide further guidance on how individuals can follow the guidelines. In response to stakeholder concern surrounding the scope of the 2015 DGAC's report and the process used to develop the 2015-2020 DGA, Congress included several DGA-related policy riders in the FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act ( P.L. 114-113 ). Section 735(a) required the Secretary of USDA, within 30 days of the enactment of the law, to engage the National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine [IOM]) to conduct a comprehensive study of the process used to establish the 2015 DGAC and the subsequent development of the 2015 DGA. Section 735(b) further required that the NAM panel selected to conduct this study include a "balanced representation of individuals with broad experiences and viewpoints regarding nutrition and dietary information," and that this comprehensive study include an analysis of how
the DGA can better prevent chronic disease, ensure nutritional adequacy for all Americans, and accommodate a range of individual factors, including age, gender, and metabolic health; the DGAC selection process "can be improved to provide more transparency, eliminate bias, and include committee members with a range of viewpoints"; the NEL is compiled and used, including whether NEL and other systematic reviews, as well as data analyses, are conducted following "rigorous and objective scientific standards"; and systematic reviews are conducted on "longstanding" DGA recommendations, including "whether scientific studies are included from scientists with a range of viewpoints." What's Next for the DGA?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is a policy document that provides federally developed, nutrition-based recommendations for Americans two years of age and older. The guidelines are statutorily mandated under the 1990 National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act (P.L. 101-445), which requires the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) to jointly publish the DGA policy document at least once every five years.
The DGA forms the basis for all federal nutrition policies, including the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The guidelines also
influence food and nutrition labeling; guide local, state, and national health promotion and disease prevention initiatives; and inform various organizations and industries (e.g., products developed and marketed by the food and beverage industry).
To facilitate publication of the DGA policy document, a conference report from the House Committee on Appropriations directed HHS and USDA to establish a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on a periodic basis. The DGAC is an independent group of experts from outside the federal sector, generally in the fields of nutrition and medicine, whose work is solely advisory and time-limited. The DGAC is tasked with reviewing the scientific data relevant to nutritional guidance and making recommendations to the Secretaries of HHS and USDA regarding changes to the DGA policy document.
The 571-page Scientific Report of the 2015 DGAC (2015 DGAC's report) was made public on February 19, 2015, and was used by the departments, along with public comments and input from other federal agencies, to inform the drafting of the 2015-2020 DGA policy document.
Because the DGA influences nutrition policy, the guidelines are of interest to public health, nutrition, agriculture, and food industry stakeholders. Following the release of the 2015 DGAC's report, HHS and USDA received 29,000 written comments during the 75-day comment period, as well as 73 oral comments at a March 2015 public meeting. Stakeholders flagged several concerns with the report, particularly with the scope of the DGAC's recommendations and the process by which the DGAC made its conclusions and recommendations, along with concerns regarding several specific recommendations.
In response to concerns surrounding the scope of the 2015 DGAC's report and the process used to develop the 2015-2020 DGA, several DGA-related policy riders were included in the FY2016 omnibus appropriations law (P.L. 114-113), prior to the release of the 2015-2020 DGA. As mandated by Congress, the National Academies of Medicine (NAM) are, for the first time, required to review the DGA and its development process due to concerns with the "quality of scientific evidence and extraneous factors" that were included in the 2015 DGAC's report.
HHS and USDA issued the 2015-2020 DGA on January 7, 2016. This most recent DGA provides five overarching guidelines for the general population, accompanied by several "Key Recommendations" that provide further guidance on how individuals can follow the five guidelines.