Reforming America’s One-Size-Fits-All Nutrition Policy to Include an Option for the 60% of Americans Diagnosed with Chronic Diseases Could Improve Resistance to Severe COVID-19 Complications

For Immediate Release
February 25, 2020
Contact: Hannah  Andrews, press@nutritioncoalition.us 

New CDC Report Shows Nearly 90% of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients had an Underlying Chronic Disease, Including Obesity and Diabetes

 Washington D.C. – In response to a new CDC report showing that 90% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. are patients with one or more underlying conditions, today the Nutrition Coalition, a group that aims to bring rigorous science to nutrition policy, called for reforms to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans—America’s official nutrition policy—to help improve metabolic health, which could better protect at-risk Americans from viruses including COVID-19.

With 60% of the population afflicted with at least one nutrition-related disease, the Guidelines continue to be a policy for “healthy” Americans only, focusing exclusively on prevention. The science that goes into the Guidelines does not include studies that can help people treat or reverse their conditions. In other words, those 60% of Americans are excluded. With such a narrow focus, this policy is on track to do virtually nothing to reverse the epidemics of disease that are causing enormous suffering and increasing the risk of Americans to serious harm from COVID-19.  

“COVID-19, by revealing the added risk faced by people with diet-related, chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, exposes, now more than ever the importance of helping people regain their health,” said Nina Teicholz, Executive Director of the Nutrition Coalition. “Decades of government dietary guidance has failed to combat the ever-increasing rates of debilitating chronic diseases. This is why the guidelines must be reformed to include the 60% of our population who have a chronic, nutrition-related disease. It’s time to move beyond a one-size-fits-all solution and recognize that people with these diet-related illnesses need different options. Studies of the last 20 years show a clear path forward, yet the current Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has been ignoring the latest science.”

Data has shown that those with underlying diseases are the most at-risk to develop severe complications from COVID-19. Among the 90% of hospitalized U.S. patients, the underlying diseases include:

·      Hypertension- 49.7%

·      Obesity- 48.3%

·      Chronic lung disease- 34.6%

·      Diabetes- 28.3%

·      Cardiovascular disease- 27.8%

 The guidelines exert extraordinary influence on American eating habits, driving the advice dispensed to each and every American from doctors, nutritionists, dieticians and other health professionals who shape public thinking about what constitutes a healthy diet. For patients suffering from obesity, diabetes, dementia, high blood pressure or more, professionals provide the government’s one-size-fits-all diet, designed exclusively for healthy people. Since the launch of the DGA in 1980, the incidence of chronic, diet-related diseases in America has dramatically increased. Adult obesity rates have doubled; childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled; and two-thirds of American adults are now overweight or have obesity.  

A statement from the Nutrition Coalition reads, “We remain deeply concerned about COVID-19 and the heartbreaking toll it’s taking across the world and extend our sympathy to all who are suffering and gratitude to all those on the front lines taking care of patients.”

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