A look back at lessons learned and not learned.

Many of the issues and problems of concern to Atwater are still being studied and debated. However, the major nutrition issue today is balancing food preferences against the risk of disease. This affects the relationship between agriculture and nutrition interests. Successful modification of eating habits will rest primarily upon the food industries. Foods with desirable nutritional profiles will sell if they are tasty, competitively priced, and convenient. In developing dietary recommendations, the changes necessary in the food supply must be considered. Unreasonable recommendations should be avoided. In addition, serious consideration should be given to how food consumption data are obtained, what standards are used to evaluate the data, and what legitimate conclusions can be drawn from these data.