Reforming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) for a Metabolically Broken Nation: A Call to Action for the Inclusion of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet

Summary

Since the DGA launched in 1980, obesity rates have skyrocketed, and metabolic disease is now the norm: over 75% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; 93% exhibit metabolic dysfunction; and nearly 30% of teens have prediabetes. Evidence links metabolic dysfunction to chronic physical and mental illnesses, suggesting that common underlying biological pathways are driving both epidemics. The current DGA recommends 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, which fails to meet the needs of our metabolically vulnerable population. We need 1) low-carbohydrate dietary options 2) a reevaluation of the saturated fat cap, and 3) a focus on whole foods that protect children’s health.

Download PDF

Why Reform is Urgent

• Violation of the National Nutrition Monitoring Act: The DGA does not include a dietary option for those living with metabolic disease, thereby violating its mandate to serve all Americans.
• Children Are on the Front Lines: American children consume 67% of their calories from ultra-processed, mostly high-carbohydrate foods, leading to rising childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and several mental health conditions. Early dietary patterns shape lifelong health trajectories.
• Outdated Macronutrient Guidelines: The DGA emphasizes whole grains and high-carbohydrate foods over healthy fats, precipitating a carbohydrate addiction crisis that worsens insulin resistance and chronic disease. The DGA’s limits on saturated fat are not supported by the scientific literature.

The Science Is Clear

•  Low-Carb Diets Work: Ample evidence shows low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets can rapidly reverse type 2 diabetes and obesity, even in children, and eliminate seizures when medications fail. Emerging evidence demonstrates they can also address a range of other metabolic, psychiatric and neurological conditions.
• Food Addiction: Evidence suggests that ultra-processed foods activate brain reward pathways that drive addictive behaviors, and that low-carb diets reduce those cravings.
• American Diabetes Association (ADA) Endorsement: The ADA now recognizes low carbohydrate diets as the most effective diet for normalizing blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

Policy Recommendations for 2025-2030 DGA Reform

1. Incorporate a low-carbohydrate option for metabolically vulnerable people.
2. Remove the cap on saturated fats.
3. Prioritize whole foods.

Why It Matters

The DGA influences billions in federal food programs—school meals, SNAP, WIC, and military rations— and shapes dietary norms nationwide, affecting food in American homes, healthcare facilities, retirement homes, and prisons. Ignoring America’s metabolic crisis locks future generations into chronic disease. The 2025-2030 DGA review is a crucial chance to align federal nutrition policy with modern science, reduce carbohydrate addiction, and give Americans—especially children—their best chance at lasting metabolic and mental health.