Chapter 18

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

A resource produced by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides guidelines and key recommendations for healthy diets that may help prevent diet-related chronic conditions.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine

An entity within the National Academies of Sciences that establishes principles and guidelines of adequate dietary intake among other tasks.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

The recommended intake of various nutrients as determined by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine – the DRIs include recommendations like the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)

A range of intakes for carbohydrates, protein, and fats set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Medicine recommended to meet the nutritional needs of most individuals and reduce risk of chronic disease.

Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA)

Amount of nutrient needed to meet the needs of almost all individuals in an age–sex group.

Adequate Intake (AI)

The recommended average daily intake level based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake by groups of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate – the AI is used when an RDA cannot be determined.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level
(UL)

The highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population – as intake increases above the UL, the risk of adverse effects increases.

Estimated Average
Requirement (EAR)

A nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a group.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

The amount of energy (i.e., number of calories) an individual uses at rest in order to sustain basic processes in the body – this value is often considered for a 24-hour period.

Adiposity

A condition of being severely overweight or obese.

Dietary Assessment

Analyzing a client’s food and beverage intake in order to determine their intake of calories and specific nutrients – specific forms of dietary assessment include 24-hour recalls, usual intake, diet records, and food frequency questionnaires.

Usual intake

The average daily intake of food or nutrients clients consumer over a long period of time.

Body composition

The makeup of an individual’s body– major components of interest include fat mass and fat-free mass (i.e., water, bone, protein, etc.).