"the Trump administration's newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans document all but totally abdicates any responsibility the government has for advising Americans how much the scientific consensus says they should probably drink. It's a stunning reversal of three and a half past decades of guidance, which always ultimately came back to the central tenet that Americans were recommended to consume alcohol in "moderation," defined roughly as no more than two "standard drinks" a day for men, and no more than one for women."
"This is a huge (and somewhat unexpectedly decisive) victory for the alcohol industry and its lobbyists, who managed to successfully repress negative studies about the health impacts of alcohol in the lead-up to the crafting of these new guidelines, which are traditionally refreshed every five years. Indeed, the thing that immediately strikes you, reading the new dietary guidelines section on alcohol, is that it's incredibly short and lacking in any detail, consisting of all of three sentences. Here's the entire thing!"
The new Dietary Guidelines abdicate government responsibility to advise safe alcohol consumption and omit specific recommended limits. Previous guidance recommended "moderation," defined roughly as no more than two standard drinks per day for men and one for women. Earlier guidelines included warnings linking alcohol to breast cancer, cirrhosis, neurological disorders, and throat and neck cancers. The 1980 guidance advised pregnant women to limit to two ounces of alcohol per day. The new alcohol section is extremely brief—only three sentences—and makes no sex-based distinctions. Alcohol industry lobbyists successfully suppressed negative studies during guideline development, producing a major industry victory.
Read at Jezebel
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