One New Book Wraps Up Feds’ Dietary Advice

Until recently, anyone who wanted a full understanding of the Recommended Daily Allowances of vitamins and minerals put forth by the Institute of Medicine would have had to read 5000 pages published in eight volumes. Now, thanks to the miracle of common sense one federal agency, the information can be gleaned in 543 pages. Science News reports on the recent publication, by the Institute of Medicine, of the plainly titled Dietary Reference Intakes.
Science News tells us that for each nutrient or food-constituent category, the new book
includes a chapter containing a page or two of "key points." These
highlights typically identify the primary function of the food
constituent, its richest sources, problems associated with getting too
much or too little, and populations most vulnerable to getting too
little. The story also suggests that perhaps the biggest surprise for most people will be the fact
that this book has an RDA for something no one eats: exercise.  An editor explains that because the DRIs suggest limits on how many calories
people should consume, it made sense for the book to also address how
many calories they should burn.