New Federal Dietary Guidelines Emphasize Whole Foods And Prevention While St. Mary’s County Tracks Local Health Trends

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are urging Americans to return to a diet centered on whole foods and sharply reduce consumption of highly processed products under the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030, a sweeping update that frames nutrition as a cornerstone of chronic disease prevention.

The new dietary guidelines, which are updated every five years by the two federal agencies, offer guidance for Americans’ healthy eating and serve as a framework for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and public-school lunches. They emphasize that diets should be built around protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains, while discouraging foods high in added sugars, refined carbohydrates, sodium and chemical additives.

In a joint message, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the update was a significant reset of national nutrition policy. Their message said “more than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese,” and “nearly one in three American adolescents ages 12 to 17 has prediabetes,” trends they said are closely tied to reliance on ultra-processed foods and lifestyles with very little physical activity.

The American Medical Association supported the new guidelines, with its president, Bobby Mukkamala, saying “the guidelines affirm that food is medicine,” and provide clear direction for addressing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

In the Healthy St. Mary’s 2026 plan, a community health improvement plan prepared by the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership, chronic disease prevention objectives call for the same reduction in unhealthy eating and inactive lifestyles. That plan was presented in 2021, and it stated that the county baseline of adults considered to be at a healthy weight was 25%, while 16% of high school students were considered overweight and 14% were considered obese. According to that document, after adjusting for age differences, 11% of the St. Mary’s County population, which was 113,000 at that time according to the U.S. Census Bureau, had diabetes.

According to Shannon Heaney, MPH, CPhT, director of chronic disease prevention and control at the St. Mary’s County Health Department, nearly two-thirds of adults in St. Mary’s County are currently overweight or obese. Heaney said local baseline data currently indicate that 35% of adults are considered at a healthy weight, while 15% of high school students are classified as obese and an additional 15% are considered overweight based on self-reported data. The county’s population was reported at approximately 116,000 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“These patterns increase the risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes over time,” Heaney said. “The updated guidelines focus on overall eating patterns, limiting added sugars and increasing intake of whole foods aligns closely with what we are seeing affecting residents locally.”

The new federal guidance on healthy eating, which is outlined on realfood.gov, placed a strong emphasis on prevention, arguing that many chronic illnesses commonly treated through medical intervention are not inevitable but instead the result of long-term dietary patterns. Federal officials also linked diet-related diseases to broader societal impacts, including escalating health care costs and reduced military readiness.

Among the most notable recommendations, the guidelines encourage higher daily protein intake, consumption of full-fat dairy products without added sugars, and greater use of whole vegetables and fruits in their original forms. The guidelines also advise limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, artificial sweeteners and highly processed snack foods, while calling for sodium intake to remain below established thresholds for most Americans.

While the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 made some shifts from previous years, like placing an emphasis on meat and dairy over refined cereals, artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed foods, they largely align with the healthy lifestyle recommendations that local health professionals in St. Mary’s County have included in their messaging for many years.

“The guidance reinforces familiar messages about eating more fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains, and limiting foods high in added sugar and sodium,” Heaney said. “What feels different is the clearer emphasis on overall eating patterns rather than focusing on individual nutrients. Improving everyday food choices across the lifespan has a much bigger impact than short-term dietary changes.”

Catherine Dowling, a clinical health educator specializing in diabetes with MedStar Health, said the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans largely reflect long-standing nutrition recommendations focused on prevention rather than treatment of chronic disease. She said local data from St. Mary’s County continue to show high rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular risk, underscoring why federal guidance emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods.

“Some of the specific challenges to community health and well-being in St. Mary’s County identified by MedStar Health in our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment were obesity, cancer, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes,” Dowling said. “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are specifically intended for prevention, not treatment, of chronic health conditions.”

The guidance applies across life stages, with sections addressing nutrition needs from infancy through older adulthood, as well as considerations for pregnant and lactating women, individuals with chronic disease and people following vegetarian or vegan diets. While the document acknowledges that calorie and nutrient needs vary by individual, it consistently promotes nutrient-dense foods over calorie-dense, low-nutrition options.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins wrote that the United States is facing a health emergency in which “many of these [chronic] illnesses are not genetic destiny; they are the predictable result of the standard American diet.” They said the nation’s growing reliance on “highly processed foods” has contributed to obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases, noting that nearly 90% of U.S. health care spending now goes toward treating people with chronic conditions.

Federal officials say the guidelines are intended to inform nutrition education, health care counseling and federally supported food programs, including school meals and public assistance initiatives. While the recommendations do not mandate changes at the local level, they often serve as a foundation for policy decisions, institutional standards and public health messaging.

In St. Mary’s County, Dowling explained that there is typically a period of time that passes for public programs and organizations to implement new regulations that align with federal dietary guidelines.

“The U.S. government uses the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as the basis of its food assistance and meal programs,” Dowling said. “Given the presence of our local schools, senior centers and the naval base, it’s safe to assume there will be changes to the food offered through these organizations.”

A spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education said it is too early to determine how the new federal dietary guidelines may affect school meals, noting that existing programs already follow current USDA standards.

“All school meal programs in Maryland are committed to providing nutritious, healthy meals that meet current USDA school meal regulations and student preferences,” said Cherie Duvall-Jones, deputy director of communications for the Maryland State Department of Education. “Specific guidance on USDA meal requirement updates has not been issued yet, and there is a regulatory process for the development of the updates. It may be a few months before implications for school meals are known.”

Local health officials and educators in St. Mary’s County are reviewing the updated guidance to assess how it aligns with existing programs and community needs. Perspectives from county agencies, health care providers and public schools are expected to provide insight into how the national recommendations translate to local challenges related to food access, affordability and nutrition education.

“Federal dietary guidance often helps shape school meals, nutrition education and community health programs over time,” Heaney said. “Locally, these guidelines support ongoing efforts to improve access to healthy food, strengthen nutrition education and reduce chronic disease risk across all ages. They provide a consistent, evidence-based framework for schools, community partners and health programs to use when planning or updating services.”

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans have information resources available to the public at realfood.gov. Locally, the St. Mary’s County Health Department has interactive dashboards available on its website that allow community residents and officials to explore local health trends. Access to the MedStar Health Community Health Needs Assessment is also available online.

Whole Milk For Healthy Kids Act

In addition to the recent update to the dietary guidelines, Congress passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, restoring the option for schools to serve whole milk as part of the National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The act was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 14 and aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030, which recognize full-fat dairy as part of a healthy dietary pattern. The law directs the USDA to revise school nutrition regulations, with implementation expected to occur as federal guidance is finalized.

In St. Mary’s County, public school officials are expected to review the legislation through state-level guidance, with any potential changes to cafeteria offerings dependent on future implementation details from the USDA and the regulatory processes of the Maryland State Department of Education.

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