Can We Agree? Dietary Guidance Related To Low- And No-Calorie Sweeteners In The US And Canada

Recorded August 26, 2021

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.0 Continuing Professional Education Unit (CPEU) for completion of this recorded webinar until August 26, 2024.

Description:

The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reviewed the evidence related to low- and no-calorie sweetener (LNCSs) use and weight, recommending that LNCSs be considered as an option for weight management (with limited evidence). The Dietary Guidelines that followed state that LNCSs “may reduce calorie intake in the short-term and aid in weight management”. At the same time, the most recent Canadian Food Guide recommends that foods and beverages that are unsweetened should be recommended (regardless of sweetening with or without calories). The World Health Organization is also set to release the latest guidance on use of LNCSs sometime in 2021. This session will offer clarity on the evidence review processes and rationale for dietary recommendations specific to LNCSs, across the US and Canada, and considering other global approaches. The panel will discuss evidence-review processes and final recommendations, identify evidence gaps, and describe the translation from evidence to policies that aim to protect the health of the target populations. Discussion will include translation of guidance for practitioners that counsel individuals with different goals that may include sugar reduction as a strategy.

Webinar program:                                                                     

Welcome from IAFNS

  • Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, Tufts University - Moderator

The DGAC Perspective

  • Beth Mayer-Davis, PhD RD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A Canadian Perspective

  • Mary L'Abbe, PhD, University of Toronto

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the evidence evaluation processes that are used by the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Health Canada, and the respective rationales for selecting that process.
  2. Describe the evidence base for use of low-calorie sweeteners and translation into dietary guidance as well as evidence that would be useful for future reviews.
  3. Explain the recommendations for LCS use and the underlying rationale, as defined in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report and translated in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and compare/contrast these with recommendations from other global authorities.

Performance Indicators

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision making.
  • 6.2.3 Interprets data to make recommendations and to inform decisions
  • 8.1.2 Applies knowledge of food and nutrition as well as the biological, physical and social science in practice

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