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Approaches to Examine the Science | Dietary Guidelines for Americans
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<span>About</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/purpose-dietary-guidelines"> <span>Purpose</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/process"> <span>Who's Involved?</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/approaches-examine-science" class="usa-current"> <span>Approaches to Examine the Science</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/history-dietary-guidelines"> <span>History</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/peer-reviewed-publications"> <span>Peer-Reviewed Publications</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-dietary-guidelines/previous-editions"> <span>Previous Editions</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </aside> <div class="region-content usa-width-three-fourths"> <div class="region region-content"> <div id="block-dietaryguidelines-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <article data-history-node-id="397" about="/about-dietary-guidelines/approaches-examine-science" typeof="schema:WebPage"> <span property="schema:name" content="Approaches to Examine the Science" class="rdf-meta hidden"></span> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--uswds-text paragraph--view-mode--default usa-section usa-content" id="uswds-text-4189"> <div class="usa-grid"> <h2>Approaches to Examine the Science</h2> <p>Updating the <em>Dietary Guidelines for Americans</em> (<em>Dietary Guidelines</em>) is a scientifically rigorous, multi-year process. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) identify proposed scientific questions with input from Federal experts and the public and then appoint a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee members refine and prioritize their questions, collaborate to develop protocols that describe how they plan to review the science, review and synthesize the evidence based on their protocols, present their scientific findings, and consider public comments. The Committee’s work culminates in a comprehensive scientific report on the current state of nutrition science and provides independent recommendations to HHS and USDA. Upon delivery of its report to the Secretaries or when its 2-year charter expires, whichever comes first, the activities of the Committee will finish, and the Departments will develop the next edition of the <em>Dietary Guidelines</em>, informed by the work of the Committee, existing evidence-based federal guidance, federal agency input, and public comments. </p> <p>The Committee uses three approaches to examine the evidence: Data analysis, food pattern modeling, and systematic reviews. Each of these approaches has its own rigorous, protocol-driven methodology, and plays a unique, complementary role in examining the science. For each approach, staff from HHS and USDA support the Committee's review of the evidence.</p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-grid"> <div class="usda-pictext usda-pictext-md paragraph paragraph--type--usda-picture-text-row paragraph--view-mode--default usa-section usa-content"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2022-06/Graph%20Icon.png" width="230" height="230" alt="Graph Icon" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </article> <div class="usda-pictext-text"> <p><strong>Data analysis:</strong> A collection of analyses that uses national data sets to describe the current health and dietary intakes of Americans. These data help make the <em>Dietary Guidelines</em> practical, relevant, and achievable.</p> <p><a class="usa-button " href="/examine-evidence#data-analysis">Learn More</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-grid"> <div class="usda-pictext usda-pictext-md paragraph paragraph--type--usda-picture-text-row paragraph--view-mode--default usa-section usa-content"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2022-06/Computer%20Icon.png" width="230" height="230" alt="Computer Icon" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </article> <div class="usda-pictext-text"> <p><strong>Food pattern modeling:</strong> A methodology used to illustrate how changes to the amounts or types of foods and beverages in a dietary pattern might affect meeting nutrient needs and to develop quantitative dietary patterns that reflect health-promoting patterns identified in systematic reviews and meet energy and nutrient needs. </p> <p><a class="usa-button " href="/examine-evidence#food-pattern-modeling">Learn More</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-grid"> <div class="usda-pictext usda-pictext-md paragraph paragraph--type--usda-picture-text-row paragraph--view-mode--default usa-section usa-content"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2022-06/Papers%20Icon_1.png" width="203" height="203" alt="Papers Icon" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </article> <div class="usda-pictext-text"> <p><strong>Systematic reviews:</strong> Gold-standard evidence synthesis projects that answer nutrition questions of public health importance using systematic, transparent, rigorous, and protocol-driven methods to search for, evaluate, synthesize, and grade the strength of the eligible body of evidence.</p> <p><a class="usa-button " href="/examine-evidence#systematic-reviews">Learn More</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--uswds-text 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