If you don't remember your password, you can reset it by entering your email address and clicking the Reset Password button. You will then receive an email that contains a secure link for resetting your password
If the address matches a valid account an email will be sent to __email__ with instructions for resetting your password
The year 2011 marks an exciting time in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Not only were the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) released, representing the most up-to-date scientific recommendations on food, nutrition, dietary patterns, and physical activity, but the Federal government embarked on a fresh approach to communicating the DGA. In September, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) launched a multi-year, multi-modal DGA communications campaign to help Americans put seven key behaviors from the 2010 edition into action. Two hallmarks of this new communications approach are the focus on one consistent nutrition message at a time and substantial coordination of messages conveyed to consumers throughout the marketplace. From November 2011 through 2013, USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion will be sharing details of this campaign and the role of the registered dietitian on a quarterly basis through this column in the Journal.
vegetables, fruits, dairy, seafood, oils, fiber, potassium, vitamin D, and calcium. It is above the recommended limits for solid fats and added sugars, refined grains, sodium, and saturated fat. Although the scientific evidence on which to base these recommendations is the strongest yet, consumer adherence to the recommendations has been far from ideal.
The good news is that consumers appear to be increasingly interested in nutrition. According to the American Dietetic Association's Nutrition and You: Trends 2008 survey (
), 40% of US adults “strongly agree” that they actively seek information about nutrition and healthy eating—up from 2002 and 2000. This comes at a time of unprecedented consumer attention to food and nutrition topics through so many channels—on the Web, in stores, on packaged food products, at doctors' offices, in the media, and many other places. Further, the 2011 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation's 2011 Food & Health Survey (
) reported that, among Americans who have made dietary modifications, just over one third use family and friends as a resource. Thus, it is not surprising that with the prevalence of nutrition information and messaging from disparate sources, close to half of Americans continue to feel that the food and health information they receive is confusing and conflicting, according to the IFIC Foundation 2010 Food & Health Survey (
). The time is ripe, then, to take a new look at the mechanisms through which the DGA are communicated to consumers.
USDA's Fresh Approach for Communicating the 2010 DGA
CNPP undertook an iterative consumer research approach to develop consumer messages in the 2010 DGA focal areas of balancing calories, eating more of some foods and nutrients, and eating less of others. Separately, it also tested potential “next generation” food icons. The methodology included interviews with federal partners, a media analysis of the 2005 DGA, an environmental scan of six nutrition and physical activity communication programs, consumer focus groups, and quantitative surveys. Overall, the qualitative research revealed that consumers know the basics about healthy eating, but notable deficiencies remain, particularly around portions and calories. Across audience segments, quantitatively and qualitatively, not one message or tip appealed to everyone. Several food icons appealed to focus group participants, but subjects felt that a “plate” image conveyed a positive message about eating healthfully at mealtimes. Food group names were changed (the Meat and Beans Group became the Protein Foods Group and the Milk and Milk Products Group became the Dairy Group) based on overwhelming consumer response and better comprehension of the foods contained in these groups when the names were amended.
As a result, in 2011, CNPP has launched the much hailed MyPlate and seven selected nutrition messages that represent key behaviors in the 2010 DGA. The selected messages are: Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables; Make At Least Half Your Grains Whole Grains; Switch to Fat-Free or Low-Fat (1%) Milk; Compare Sodium in Foods Like Soup, Bread, and Frozen Meals—and Choose the Foods with Lower Numbers; Drink Water Instead of Sugary Drinks; Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less; and Avoid Oversized Portions. MyPlate—a graphic message of a healthy plate comprising all the food groups—now serves as the government's main food icon. It is notable that MyPlate is a marked departure from MyPyramid in its intended use. While MyPyramid was developed to represent and teach all the nutrition principles contained in the DGA, MyPlate is intentionally simple. Consistent with focus group findings, its intent is to capture consumers' attention and serve as a reminder to make healthful food choices.
The interviews, environmental scan, and literature reviews also served as a road map to prioritize strategies when communicating the 2010 DGA messages to consumers. The findings stressed the importance of consistent messaging and providing supportive resources and tools that convey practical advice to consumers.
To this end, a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-year, multi-modal 2010 DGA consumer campaign was born. Key features of the campaign include a message roll-out calendar, “how-tos” to fit every lifestyle, interactive tools, social media outreach, and partnerships. The partnership component is represented by the newly established Nutrition Communicators Network. The Network has two partner categories: National Strategic Partners and Community Partners. These partnerships are not funded and depend on the shared goals of improving the health of consumers.
Campaign Resources for Dietetics Practitioners
The message calendar, also found at ChooseMyPlate.gov, represents the seven timed rollouts of selected DGA messages from September 2011 through December 2013. Each message is the focus for a period of 3 months. Partnering individuals and organizations are invited to extend these messages and supplement them with “how-tos” that resonate with different individuals and audiences. The expectation is that the focused messages and engaging MyPlate icon will grab consumers' attention and a library of “how-tos” and tips will guide consumers' actions in making changes that fit into their lifestyles. The hope is that these changes will be simple enough for consumers to implement and adopt as habits.
CNPP will implement “buzz activities” to attract consumer attention and sustain interest around each message and the behavior the message represents. These may include competitions, media outreach, apps, and/or events. Messages will also be supported by educational materials. Social media outreach by CNPP and its partners is underway and will continue through the campaign via Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.
The message “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables” launched in September. With the launch of this first message, CNPP announced a national MyPlate fruits and vegetables video competition. Consumers are encouraged to get creative and submit a video that demonstrates useful information to eat more fruits and vegetables on a budget. More information on this competition can be found at Fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov. CNPP released a poster, mini-poster, and new editions to the 10 Tips Education Series. Also released in September were MiPlato and Spanish-translated resources. All of these resources can be found at ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Simultaneously, CNPP has reinforced its online presence and resources. ChooseMyPlate.gov has been redesigned. In addition, the interactive tools previously on the MyPyramid site were integrated and modernized with added features and are now called SuperTracker. SuperTracker, accessed at the Web site, enables users to get personal recommendations for what and how much to eat as well as physical activity; compare their food choices to the DGAs; identify ways to improve eating and physical activity behaviors; and offers personalized features, such as journaling, coaching, and MyWeightManager to track weight loss.
How Dietetics Practitioners Can Get Involved
The nutrition community will be central in helping consumers apply the 2010 DGAs and selected consumer messages, so we encourage all to join the Nutrition Communicators Network as Community Partners. This group is especially important in reaching the public on a grassroots level with DGA messages and personalized “how-tos.” It's fast and simple to sign up as a Community Partner at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/Partnerships/communitypartners.aspx. Simply complete the short Web form. Upon submitting, your organization's name will appear in the list of Community Partners, you will receive a welcome packet with a certificate and materials, and your name will be placed on an e-mail list for insider updates on MyPlate, DGA communications, and new resources and materials.
Ultimately, we call on all registered dietitians to help us focus the American public on one nutrition message at a time and expose them to these messages wherever they are and in ways they can act on by drilling down with “how-tos” for your audience. You can use the message calendar as a guide for planning and coordinating. In the weeks and months to come, we will be sure to share news about the campaign, its milestones, and new resources for you to use in your practice. We look forward to joining with each of you in this worthy cause and hope that you will share what you are doing going forward.
References
US Department of Agriculture; US Department of HealthHuman Services
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.
7th ed. US Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC2010
This article was written by Robert C. Post, PhD, MEd, MSc, deputy director; Jackie Haven, MS, RD, director of the Nutrition Marketing and Communications Division; and Shelley Maniscalco, MPH, RD, nutritionist; all at the US Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Alexandria, VA.
01668-3&id=grr1.jpg){kind=link}