Why the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Set To Ignore Low-Carb Science Again
Every five years, the U.S. government releases the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a document that shapes what schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and even the military serve. It influences food labeling, doctor recommendations, and national health programs.
It is, without question, one of the most powerful public health policies in the country.
But there’s a problem. Every five years, the same flawed advice is repeated. And every five years, Americans get sicker.
The Reality of Metabolic Disease
Every version of the Dietary Guidelines arrives with the promise of improving public health. Yet every new edition coincides with rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
That is not random.
Seventy percent of adults are overweight. Nearly half are diabetic or prediabetic. Heart disease remains the number one cause of death. These numbers climb with every new version of the guidelines. If the recommendations were working, we would see improvement. We don’t.
Metabolic disease is not a mystery. It is driven by chronically high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation conditions caused by overconsumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates. The science has made this clear for decades. Studies consistently show that reducing carbohydrates lowers insulin, stabilizes blood sugar, and reverses metabolic dysfunction.
So why is this not addressed in the guidelines?
Why, when the data is plain, does the government continue to recommend diets high in grains and carbohydrates while warning against fat and red meat?
It defies logic until you look at who benefits.
The guidelines are not written in a vacuum. They are heavily influenced by the food and agriculture industries, which depend on the sale of carbohydrate-based products. The system is built to protect economic interests, not health outcomes. Corn, wheat, and soy, the foundation of processed foods are subsidized and protected. Telling Americans to eat less of these foods would disrupt billions in revenue.
Pharmaceutical companies benefit, too. A population trapped in metabolic disease depends on medication statins, insulin, blood pressure drugs, antidepressants. Chronic illness keeps the system profitable.
So the cycle continues. The USDA tells people to eat more “heart-healthy” grains and less fat. People get sicker. The medical industry manages the consequences. And the data showing how easily this could be prevented is ignored.
This is not a failure of science. The science is there. It’s a failure of courage and honesty.
Nina Teicholz said it best: “The process was not about finding the truth. It was about protecting the status quo.”
Until that changes, each new set of Dietary Guidelines will only make the problem worse.
It’s time to stop pretending this is accidental. It’s time to start asking why the government refuses to address the obvious: metabolic disease is driven by sugar and refined carbs, not fat.
The evidence is overwhelming. The silence is intentional.
How Low-Carb Got Buried
In 2015, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reviewed dozens of studies showing that low-carb diets improve blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic health. The evidence was strong and peer-reviewed.
Then it was buried.
The findings were hidden in the appendices of the final report. Harvard’s Dr. Frank Hu publicly questioned the move, saying, “Given the popularity of a low-carb pattern, we should have a separate section rather than burying it.”
But the USDA never responded.
Why? Because acknowledging that a low-carb diet heals would expose decades of policy failure. It would reveal that the very guidelines created to “prevent” disease have helped cause it.
Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise, uncovered that the committee dismissed low-carb studies, not because they were weak, but because they didn’t fit within the USDA’s outdated definition of a “healthy” diet in a high-carb, low-fat framework rooted in the 1950s Ancel Keys hypothesis.
That theory claimed saturated fat caused heart disease. It was never proven. Yet it became official policy, shaping food production, medical training, and public messaging for generations.
And now, even after being debunked by modern science, the USDA refuses to let it go.
The 2025 Guidelines: Another Missed Chance
The new 2025 Dietary Guidelines are being finalized. Once again, despite hundreds of new studies and formal requests from scientists and the public, the USDA has decided not to include a low-carb option.
The Nutrition Coalition, led by Teicholz, submitted research, petitions, and public comments. The committee ignored them.
This refusal is more than bureaucratic. It’s unethical. Every year the guidelines exclude low-carb evidence, more people are pushed toward preventable disease.
As Teicholz said, “We have the data. What’s missing is the will to act on it.”
It’s Not About Politics—It’s About Health
This is not a political argument. It’s a moral one. The Dietary Guidelines are failing to protect public health. They’re built on outdated science, influenced by industry, and resistant to change.
The evidence for a low-carb approach is not fringe. It’s published in top medical journals and practiced by physicians worldwide. Patients with type 2 diabetes are reversing their condition by simply eating fewer carbohydrates and more real food.
And yet, the USDA continues to ignore it.
It’s time to ask harder questions:
• Why is the government protecting old theories instead of people’s health?
• Who profits from keeping the population metabolically sick?
• Why are citizens not given a choice in the dietary model that governs their food systems?
The government is not protecting the public. It’s protecting the industries that profit from disease.
The Path Forward
• Demand transparency in how the Dietary Guidelines are written.
• Support inclusion of low-carb and ketogenic options in national policy.
• Ask your doctor about metabolic health, not just cholesterol or calories.
• Read the research and make informed choices, regardless of official advice.
America’s health crisis is not a mystery. It’s the result of decades of bad policy built on outdated science. The 2025 Guidelines could have been the moment to change course. Instead, they’re another missed opportunity.
The evidence is clear. The question now is whether the people writing the rules are willing to face it.
Resources
Teicholz N. Myths and Facts Regarding Low-Carbohydrate Diets. Nutrients, 2025.
Teicholz N. The Big Fat Surprise. Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Nutrition Coalition. USDA Ignores Science on Low-Carb Diets.
Feinman RD et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management. Nutrition, 2015.
Bikman B. Why We Get Sick. BenBella Books, 2020.
Harvard School of Public Health remarks by Dr. Frank Hu, 2015.
Note to Readers:
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects current metabolic science. Always consult your healthcare provider before making medical or dietary changes. Learn the facts, question the process, and demand accountability. Your health should never be sacrificed for policy or profit.
Disclaimer: The content shared here is for informational and educational purposes only and should never be taken as medical advice.
In writing this blog post, my goal is to distill research findings into a clear, approachable format that encourages critical thinking and empowers you to make informed decisions about your health.
