Healthy People program

Healthy People is a program of nationwide health-promotion and disease-prevention goals set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The goals were first set in 1979 “in response to an emerging consensus among scientists and health authorities that national health priorities should emphasize disease prevention”. The Healthy People program was originally issued by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW). This first issue contained “a report announcing goals for a ten-year plan to reduce controllable health risks. In its section on nutrition, the report recommended diets with fewer calories; less saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar; relatively more complex carbohydrates, fish and poultry; and less red meat.” Though this recommended diet consisted of more processed foods rather than fresh produce, the report advised for consumers to “be wary of processed foods”. The goals were subsequently updated for Healthy People 2000, Healthy People 2010, and Healthy People 2020.