USDA to report on health effects of popular diets

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Diet doctors beware.

The U.S. Agriculture Department will release a report next month summarizing the latest research on the health and nutrition effects of popular diets, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said Wednesday.

"The diet folks represent a multibillion-dollar industry, so I think they should also be subjected to the highest level of scientific scrutiny," Glickman said at a conference to examine the role genetics plays in dietary choices.

During his six years as agriculture secretary, Glickman has increased the department's attention to diet and nutrition issues. The department will release its upcoming "white paper" report at a January 11 symposium on popular diets. It hosted similar conference earlier this year.

"It's not the government's role to tell people what to eat or what not to eat," Glickman said. "We're trying to give people some information source" to assess the multitude of popular diet books on the market.

Glickman chided the medical community for being slow to explore the link between diet and health.

"That's changing, but not fast enough," he said.

Glickman also revealed his daughter's surprise when she found out he was addressing a conference on food and genes.

"She said 'Dad, you can't even fit into yours anymore,"' Glickman told his audience.

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