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American Beverage Association Provides Testimony to 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee

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American Beverage Association Provides Testimony to 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for  Americans Advisory Committee 

URGES COMMITTEE TO REINFORCE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY BALANCE AND HYDRATION

Today, during the second meeting of the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee, Dr. Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy for the American Beverage Association, presented oral testimony:

"The American Beverage Association today welcomed the opportunity to offer key recommendations to be considered by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.  In speaking to the Committee, I urged members to reinforce two themes - energy balance and hydration, both of which are critical to the overarching goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: maintaining a healthy weight and overall good health.

To effectively maintain healthy weight, we must look at energy balance - calories in and calories out. Thus, our industry urged the Committee to ensure that the 2010 guidelines focus on the total diet, the importance of physical activity and the essential role that energy balance plays in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. This is reinforced by the last year's publication by the federal government of physical activity guidelines that represent the starting line for living a healthy lifestyle. 

In addition, as we did in 2005, we encouraged the Committee to set a dietary guideline for hydration.  In fact, in 2005, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies published Dietary Reference Intakes for water throughout the lifecycle.  This document recognizes that water is an essential nutrient and proper hydration is a common nutritional thread that runs through every age and gender group - infants, children, teens, young adults and older Americans. 

We look forward to having future opportunities to share our perspectives with the Committee and respectfully urge members to incorporate these two critical themes into the dietary guidelines."

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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