Benjamin Caballero, MD, PhD, and Lawrence J. Appel, MD, MPH, of the School’s Center for Human Nutrition, were named to the 13-member Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, which is a nutrition policy guide to advise the public on ways to improve overall health through proper nutrition.
Dr. Caballero is director of the Center for Human Nutrition and Division of Human Nutrition and professor in the Department of International Health. Dr. Appel is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He also is affiliated with Center for Human Nutrition and holds joint appointments with the Departments of Epidemiology and International Health.
According to HHS, the committee members were selected for their scientific expertise related to dietary intake and health. They will advise HHS and USDA on any nutritional and dietary revisions necessary to the guidelines before they are republished. They are also responsible for ensuring that the science behind the guidelines is translated for the public in a user-friendly, easily understandable format.
The guide is published every five years. The next edition will published in 2005.
HHS News Release
Public Affairs Media Contacts for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons or Kenna Brigham at 410-955-6878 or paffairs@jhsph.edu. Photographs of Benjamin Caballero are available upon request.