Allison A. Yates, PhD, RDAllison A. Yates, PhD, RDDirectorDirector

Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center USDA/ARS USDA/ARS Beltsville, MD Beltsville, MD

Research Needs to Support Research Needs to Support Food-based Dietary Guidance Food-based Dietary Guidance

in in an Era of Over-Nutritionan Era of Over-Nutrition

Tetrapartite Meeting, June 2008Tetrapartite Meeting, June 2008

Overview of food and nutrition research at ARS

Human Nutrition Action Plan 2009-2013

Research issues on the agenda

Today’s DiscussionToday’s Discussion

Human Nutrition Research -- Human Nutrition Research -- $85 M$85 M

Six human nutrition research centers— Houston TX & Baylor University: children— Boston MA & Tufts University: aging— Little Rock AR & Arkansas Children’s Hosp.: early nutrition (para-

conceptional)— Grand Forks ND @ Univ. No. Dakota: rural concerns— Davis CA @ Univ. Calif at Davis: chronic disease— Beltsville MD @ BARC: adults; nutrition monitoring

Other specific projects @ ARS locations

ARS Human Nutrition ARS Human Nutrition Research Program CustomersResearch Program Customers

Other governmental food and nutrition action agencies — USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

– Food Stamp Program; WIC Food Program; MyPyramid Food Guide— USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS)— National Institutes of Health

– Methods to estimate food intake and dietary patterns when correlating diet and risk of disease,

– Nutrient Database; Dietary Supplement Database– Polyphenol studies related to chronic disease risk factor reduction

— U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): scientific basis of nutrition regulations Dietary Guidelines for Americans – Joint USDA/DHHS Commodity trade associations, food processors Advocacy groups improving the health of vulnerable groups

ARS Human Nutrition MissionARS Human Nutrition MissionTo improve the nutrition and health of the American people by enhancing the quality of the American diet and improving related health behaviors through research

From the 2009-2013 Action Plan: National Program 107 — Human Nutrition

2009-2013 2009-2013 Human Nutrition Action PlanHuman Nutrition Action Plan

Four Components Four Components

Nutrition Monitoring and the Food SupplyScientific Basis for Dietary Guidance for Health

Promotion and Disease PreventionPrevention of Obesity and Related DiseasesLife Stage Nutrition and Metabolism

Steps to Develop Action PlanSteps to Develop Action Plan Led by National Program Staff Review of past 5 years of overall research by external

review group Workshop with stakeholders (customers), laboratory

scientists, and invited academics Purpose: identify needed research areas for future

investment Action plan developed with overall themes Put out for comment prior to finalization

Use of Action PlanUse of Action Plan National program staff develop objectives for 5 years for

scientists given their expertise and priority areas in plan Scientists develop outline of future research projects--- approved

by Center directors, Area directors, finally National Program staff Scientists submit full proposal for 5-year period addressing

objectives and describing gaps to be filled, research plans, collaborations identified

Plans evaluated by blinded external reviewer panels to determine if proposed research is sound

Major Issues in NutritionMajor Issues in Nutrition Evolution from public health directives for nutrition

guidance to individualized personal nutrition recommendations — New methods to detect specific risk factors for chronic diseases

Emerging role of immune response/inflammatory disease as intermediary in expression of chronic disease (CVD, diabetes, cancer, obesity)

Investigation of the health-promoting properties of foods---when are other food components considered nutrients?

Dietary Guidelines Versus Dietary Guidelines Versus RDAsRDAs

ConceptuallyConceptually Dietary Guidelines:

Qualitative advice to the public about dietand chronic disease prevention

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs):Quantitative advice to professionals professionals aboutamounts of nutrients or food components

found to be of benefit

Knowledge of Food Composition

Knowledge of Foods Consumed by Representative Groups

Observations of Food Intake and Risk of Disease

AssociationAssociation

REQUIRED:

CausationCausation

Hill, 1971

RESEARCHNEEDS:

Biological plausibility Temporally correct associationStrength of associationDose-response relationshipConsistency of associationSpecificity of association

Improved Dietary Guidance Relating Food Component to Risk

GOAL:

Major Issues in NutritionMajor Issues in Nutrition

Obesity Causation and Prevention—Physiological contributors—Social context—Environmental contributors

1995

2000

2005

2010?

Obesity Trends* in the U.S.: % of Adults with BMI 30 by State

No Data

< 10%

10-14%

15-19%

20-24%

25-29%

30%

Obesity Research at Beltsville Human Obesity Research at Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center---Nutrition Research Center---

Stemming the EpidemicStemming the Epidemic

(* or about 30 lbs overweight for 5’4” person; Source, BRFSS, CDC )

Beltsville has the only USDA human studies facility with three live-in calorimeters to evaluate energy metabolism and the effect of various foods & exercise on body weight and energy regulation

When will the U.S. turn completely red?

Can dairy products assist in weight loss?BHNRC scientists find that whey protein maintains muscle massand may decrease body fat

Does dietary fiber increase satiety, helping in weight management?BHNRC scientists found that barley fiber increased satiety in women

Weight maintenance = energy intake – energy expenditure, or does it?

What causes insulin resistance? How much is heredity, and how much is the environment?