WASHINGTON – Twenty experts have been appointed to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The independent advisory committee will review scientific evidence on topics and questions identified by the US Dept. of Agriculture and the US Dept. of Health and Human Services. The committee then will provide a report that, along with public and agency comments, will help inform the USDA and the HHS in developing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. More information may be found here.

The committee will hold a public meeting in the coming weeks. Throughout the committee’s deliberations, the public and other stakeholders will be encouraged to provide comments and feedback.

“In our continuing commitment to transparency and customer service, we invite the American public to engage in this process,” said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue when the committee was announced Feb. 21. “We want to hear from everyone and all viewpoints. I encourage everyone with an interest to attend public meetings and to send comments through the Federal Register once the committee begins their work.”

The review process for the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines will take a life-stage approach and for the first time will include pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months, as mandated by the 2014 farm bill.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies.

“The scientists we selected to serve on the committee are national leaders in the areas of nutrition and health,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. “HHS, USDA and all Americans will benefit from the collective experience and expertise of the committee, which will conduct a rigorous examination of the scientific evidence on several diet-related health outcomes, including the prevention of cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are three of the leading causes of death in the United States.”

The scientific advisory committee includes:

Jamy Ard, M.D., of Wake Forest Univ.;

Regan Bailey, Ph.D., of Purdue Univ.;

Lydia Bazzano, M.D., Ph.D., of Tulane Univ.

Carol Boushey, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Hawaii;

Teresa Davis, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine;

Kathryn Dewey, Ph.D., of the Univ. of California – Davis;

Sharon Donovan, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Illinois;

Steven Heymsfield, M.D., of Louisiana State Univ.;

Ronald Kleinman, M.D., of Harvard Univ.;

Heather Leidy, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Texas;

Richard Mattes, Ph.D., of Purdue Univ.;

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Ph.D., of the Univ. of North Carolina;

Timothy Naimi, M.D., of Boston Univ.;

Rachel Novotny, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Hawaii;

Joan Sabaté, M.D., of Loma Linda Univ.;

Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., of the Univ. of California – Davis;

Linda Snetselaar, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Iowa;

Jamie Stang, Ph.D., of the Univ. of Minnesota, School of Public Health;

Elsie Taveras, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Chan School of Public Health; and

Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., of Northwestern Univ.