Beyond the Plate: OMA Emphasizes Comprehensive Obesity Care in Response to New Dietary Guidelines

The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) supports many aspects of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including:

• A strong emphasis on reducing intake of ultra-processed foods and added sugars
• A focus on nutrient-dense foods containing fiber, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• The recommendation to limit saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of total daily calories and to prioritize healthier unsaturated fats
• Emerging evidence highlighting the importance of nutrition in supporting gut microbiome health
• Support for extended breastfeeding as beneficial to both maternal and child health

At the same time, the OMA emphasizes that obesity is a chronic, relapsing and progressive disease process affecting weight homeostasis. While nutrition therapy and dietary modification are foundational components of obesity prevention and treatment, dietary interventions alone are often insufficient for many individuals living with obesity to achieve and sustain long-term improvements in weight and health outcomes.

Effective obesity care requires a comprehensive, evidence-based approach, including:

• A healthful dietary pattern
• Regular physical activity
• Behavioral and psychosocial support
• Medical therapies, including FDA-approved obesity medications
• Metabolic and bariatric surgery and other procedural interventions when appropriate

The OMA is hopeful that increased attention to nutrition quality and healthy lifestyle promotion will help reduce the burden of obesity for future generations. However, the Association reinforces that nutrition choices are influenced by many factors, including cultural, economic, environmental, and medical considerations.

Patients are best served through individualized care, developed in collaboration with qualified healthcare professionals—including registered dietitians, physicians, physician associates and nurse practitioners—to determine nutrition strategies that align with each person’s unique health needs and lived experience.