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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the food guide pyramid were
developed as a means of guiding Americans toward a healthier diet that would help prevent major chronic
diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have just
completed a study aimed at determining whether this goal is actually being achieved. The study involved
over 38,000 male health professionals and almost 68,000 female nurses. The nurses completed detailed
questionnaires on diet and chronic disease risk factors in 1984 and again in 1986 and 1990. By 1996 1365
had suffered a heart attack or a stroke and 5216 had developed cancer. The male health professionals
completed their questionnaires in 1986 and again in 1990. By 1996 1092 had suffered a stroke or a heart
attack and 1661 had developed cancer.
The researchers compared the dietary information with the incidence of cancer and heart disease and found
only a relatively small benefit in following a diet based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the food
guide pyramid. The men who followed the guide almost all the time had a 28 per cent lower incidence of
cardiovascular disease, but no reduction in cancer risk as compared to men who followed the guidelines 50
per cent or less of the time. Among the women, the ardent followers of the guidelines reduced their risk of
cardiovascular disease by only 14 per cent and saw no decrease in cancer risk when compared to women
who did not pay much heed to the guidelines (highest quintile compared to lowest quintile). The researchers
conclude that the current official dietary guidelines are ineffective in reducing the incidence of major chronic
diseases and need to be redesigned. [52 references] |
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