I’m a fan of learning from government experts: what’s in the water I drink, how to avoid excess sugar, and the like.
With that in mind, I’m in favor of the government’s review every five years of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which includes recommendations about alcohol consumption. We all need to be kept up to date on the latest research and have the information we need to make informed decisions.
There’s usually some disagreement and controversy regarding what should be recommended in the Guidelines.
But this time there’s something odd and somewhat clandestine going on.
Typically the Guidelines are reviewed and updated jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That traditional review, which includes a review of the current research, is underway.
But in addition, a second panel has been created to only review alcohol. This work is being conducted by the obscure Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD). The six people overseeing the scientific review panel for ICCPUD were selected without public nomination or comment period. The panel has been called “opaque” and secretive,” working “behind closed doors.” Not only that; the panel's members are not reviewing the relevant research out there. They are conducting their own.
More troublesome is that at least half of the people on the panel conducting this scientific review are known to be anti-alcohol. One of them has had his scientific findings rejected in both the United States and Canada for lack of evidence, and has taken payment from a Prohibition group.
And three of six are Canadian; they don’t even live in the United States.
This raises several serious questions:
· Why are there two reviews of alcohol by two different groups occurring at the same time?
· Why is the ICCPUD panel so secretive?
· Why is a group whose mission is to prevent underage drinking reviewing and making recommendations on adult alcohol consumption?
· Why is this second panel conducting its own research?
· Does that mean that they’ll ignore other relevant research, particularly if it refutes their research?
· Why are Canadians on this American government panel?
· Why are people known to be biased against alcohol on the panel?
· Isn’t that bias a conflict of interest?
· Doesn’t this taint any results and recommendations the panel makes?
How can Americans rely on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines if they’re based on ideology rather than science?
The issue has caused, not surprisingly, considerable consternation in the wine industry, which has been taking steps to address what seems to be a tainted review of the U.S. alcohol guidelines.
On October 7, 2024, more than 110 members of Congress asked that the ICCPUD study be suspended because it’s duplicative to the work already being performed, there are reservations about how the panel is conducting its study (for instance, it’s including car accident information, which has nothing to do with nutrition and diet), and ICCPUD is deviating from its core mission to address underage drinking.
These events have not received much press in the mainstream media, or in the consumer world where any new guidelines would have a big impact.
But we don’t have to sit back and wonder what’s going to happen or think we can’t influence it. We can. We’re taxpayers, and this is taxpayer money.
Here's what we can do to weigh in on this troublesome, secretive review of the U.S. alcohol guidelines:
1. Contact your representatives in Congress. Let them know that this process raises questions and will likely result in false, misleading, or inaccurate information. If your representatives signed the October 7 letter, let them know you agree with them. To contact your representatives, go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.
2. Register your concern with the involved agencies. You can reach the Department of Health and Human Services here and the Department of Agriculture here. You can also reach out to them via social media. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is Xavier Becerra; the Secretary of Agriculture is Thomas Vilsack.
3. Get the word out. Let your friends know. Go on the internet. Consumers should be aware of what’s going on.
It’s good that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines get regularly reviewed and updated, so long as they are objective and based on scientific evidence.
Photo courtesy of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
What do you think of the way the Dietary Guidelines are being handled? Will you weigh in on this troublesome, secretive review of the U.S. alcohol guidelines? And what do you think will happen next? Let us know your thoughts. Send us a message at info@winewithourfamily.com.
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