Georgetown Dean Tapped for Federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
Posted in News Release
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack have appointed Lucile Adams-Campbell, PhD, to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The committee’s recommendations and rationale will serve as a basis for the eighth edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“I’m proud to be part of a committee charged with taking an evidence-based approach to reviewing our country’s nutritional guidelines,” said Adams-Campbell. “I come to the table with an open mind, ready to evaluate robust research that will help inform needed changes to nutritional standards so we can continue to make a difference in the health of all people.”
Adams-Campbell is associate dean for community health and outreach for Georgetown University Medical Center and associate director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The DGAC is a discretionary federal advisory committee that is established every five years to accomplish a single, time-limited task. By law, the HHS and USDA are required to work jointly and collaboratively to publish a Dietary Guidelines for Americans report at least every five years; the next edition is scheduled for publication in 2015.
“As we aim to improve the health of all Americans, we look forward to the important work of this Committee,” said HHS Secretary Sebelius in a press release May 31announcing the DGAC’s 15 members. “Their guidance will help shape recommendations on how we can all live healthier lives by eating a nutritious diet — a key factor in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.”
“USDA takes great pride in partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services as we strive to reverse childhood obesity and build a healthier next generation based on the solid science that undergirds the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” said USDA Secretary Vilsack.
The Dietary Guidelines serve as the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards and education. In addition, the Dietary Guidelines provide key recommendations for the general population as well as specific population groups to help people choose an overall healthy diet that works for them. The DGAC is utilized by the Secretaries of HHS and USDA to provide independent, science-based advice and recommendations for development of the guidelines.
Adams-Campbell is an epidemiologist who specializes in community health research, interventions and outreach and is a current member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. She has played a leadership role in the Washington, DC, cancer and public health communities. Her research focuses on energy balance, diet and exercise. Adams-Campbell has participated in and led several large cohort studies of African-American women, and she played a leading role in bringing the Boston University Black Women’s Health Study to the District of Columbia — the largest study of African-American women.
The inaugural meeting of the Committee is scheduled for June 13-14, 2013, and will be open to the public. For additional information please visit: www.DietaryGuidelines.gov.
About Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC’s mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis — or “care of the whole person.” The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health.
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