The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is a federally mandated policy document that provides nutrition-based recommendations for Americans aged two and older. The guidelines are updated every five years by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), based on scientific evidence. The DGA forms the basis for federal nutrition policies, including programs like the National School Lunch Program and WIC, and influences food labeling and health promotion initiatives. The development process involves an independent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), which reviews scientific data and makes recommendations to HHS and USDA. The 2015 DGAC's report, published in February 2015, was used to inform the 2015-2020 DGA, which was released in January 2016. The 2015-2020 DGA includes five overarching guidelines and key recommendations for a healthy eating pattern, emphasizing a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts, while limiting saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium. Stakeholders raised concerns about the scope and process of the 2015 DGAC's report, particularly regarding policy recommendations and the use of existing systematic reviews. In response, Congress included policy riders in the FY2016 omnibus appropriations law, limiting the scope of the DGA to nutritional and dietary information and requiring a comprehensive study by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to evaluate the development process. The NAM study will address issues such as transparency, bias, and the inclusion of diverse viewpoints in the DGAC selection process.The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is a federally mandated policy document that provides nutrition-based recommendations for Americans aged two and older. The guidelines are updated every five years by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), based on scientific evidence. The DGA forms the basis for federal nutrition policies, including programs like the National School Lunch Program and WIC, and influences food labeling and health promotion initiatives. The development process involves an independent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), which reviews scientific data and makes recommendations to HHS and USDA. The 2015 DGAC's report, published in February 2015, was used to inform the 2015-2020 DGA, which was released in January 2016. The 2015-2020 DGA includes five overarching guidelines and key recommendations for a healthy eating pattern, emphasizing a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts, while limiting saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium. Stakeholders raised concerns about the scope and process of the 2015 DGAC's report, particularly regarding policy recommendations and the use of existing systematic reviews. In response, Congress included policy riders in the FY2016 omnibus appropriations law, limiting the scope of the DGA to nutritional and dietary information and requiring a comprehensive study by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to evaluate the development process. The NAM study will address issues such as transparency, bias, and the inclusion of diverse viewpoints in the DGAC selection process.