Judging from the USDA food guidelines released this morning from our ever-wise government, it’s once again permissible to increase our salt intake, eat eggs, and skip breakfast if we so wish.  

Don’t agree with those guidelines? Never fear. We probably only have to wait for a few years until they revert to their original opinion.

As the Washington Post explains, such double-mindedness in recommendations is likely driven by the debate in the scientific community over various nutrition issues, such as whether or not saturated fats are dangerous for an individual.

“Leading groups of scientists and health organizations cannot agree on the dangers posed by saturated fats. On one side, groups such as the American Heart Association largely agree with the government warnings about saturated fats. In their view, consuming saturated fats leads to higher levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood, and that, in turn, raises the risk of heart disease. Other groups, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommend that the Dietary Guidelines de-emphasize the potential dangers of saturated fats, suggesting instead that Dietary Guidelines warn of too many carbohydrates.

Given the divide among scientists, some experts have questioned whether the government ought to weigh in with a recommendation at all.”

It’s a reasonable point. Is it time that Americans learn to look out for themselves and fall back on their own plain common sense about what is good or bad for their dietary habits?