Nutrition and Weight Status Workgroup

The goal of the NWS objectives is to promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through diet and weight control. Consuming a nutritious diet adequate in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while limiting saturated fat, sodium, and calories from added sugars can help people achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and reduce their risk of developing certain chronic diseases. However, many Americans don’t follow this dietary advice. Furthermore, too many adults and children have obesity. For example, in 2015 and 2016, about 40 percent of adults and 20 percent of children and adolescents in the United States had obesity,¹ and from 2013 to 2016, Americans consumed an average of 3,604 milligrams of sodium per day, exceeding daily recommendations by more than 1,000 milligrams.²

Core objectives selected by the NWS Workgroup reflect a scientific consensus that consuming a nutrient-rich diet and maintaining a proper body weight have numerous health benefits and are facilitated by having adequate food security. One objective also highlights counseling for people with obesity during physician office visits.

The NWS objectives and targets are aligned with federal nutrition policies encompassed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,³ and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.⁴ All Healthy People 2030 NWS core objectives must have appropriate baseline data and the expectation of additional data points from approved sources becoming available during the decade.