Application of Adult-Based Dietary Guidelines to Children: Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Policy Implications

Recommendations to promote healthy living, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are intended to translate scientific knowledge into everyday practice. This report assesses the evidence base for child-focused dietary guidance, identifying new evidence as well as topics where there are gaps for developing future direction. Relatively little growth of the science base has occurred since 2004, except on a few topics—added sugars and weight, dairy foods/calcium and bone health, and sodium and blood pressure.