Putting the dietary guidelines for americans into action: behavior-directed messages to motivate parents-phase III quantitative message testing and survey evaluation.

T HE 2010 DIETARY GUIdelines for Americans (DGA) and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provide the foundation fordieteticspractitioners to communicate healthful diet, physical activity, and lifestyle messages.With two thirds of adults andone third of children overweight or obese, recent guidance emphasizes balancing calorie intake with physical activity and selecting nutrient-dense foods. Still,many consumers struggle to achieve healthful diet and physical activity behaviors. Althoughmany consumers are aware of the basic tenets of a healthful lifestyle, consistent application of diet and physical activity recommendations to daily life is not widespread. A large part