Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas has put forward the Dietary Guidelines Reform Act of 2025. This new legislation aims to update the National Nutrition Monitoring & Related Research Act of 1990 by incorporating evidence-based nutritional information. The bill seeks to modernize the framework for developing federal dietary guidelines, which affects millions of Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) is responsible for making dietary recommendations and will be affected by this bill. The legislation intends to introduce more public input and transparency to improve nutrition outcomes across various federal food programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, which reaches almost 30 million school children annually. Additionally, the DGAC's insights serve as a foundation for nutrition education initiatives like MyPlate and the Healthy Eating Index.

According to Senator Marshall, "Despite decades of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, our citizens have only become sicker and more obese, while taxpayer dollars continue to fund this chaotic and broken process." He asserted that the new act would offer necessary reform, emphasizing scientific integrity and public trust, to produce healthier results for Americans.

A parallel version of the bill has been presented in the House by U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson from Texas. Commenting on the necessity of the bill, Representative Jackson stated, "The Biden administration has weaponized the dietary guidelines to push a partisan agenda instead of sound nutritional science." He affirmed that his bill would base dietary guidelines on "transparent, evidence-based research," ensuring the criteria are credible and scientifically valid.

The act aims to revise the system by mandating clear procedures and reputable sources to regain public confidence and promote health-focused dietary recommendations.