Since joining MomsRising, I’ve shared many personal stories, including my family heart disease history, my oldest son's high blood pressure scare, growing up in a food desert and so much more. I've shared these stories because they need to be heard. They are happening in countless homes across the United States, not just my own. If it hasn't affected your home yet, it will. Why? Because “obesity related medical costs, alone, could rise by $43 to $66 billion each year in the United States by 2030" and those costs will be felt by all.

We have a chance to alter these numbers.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are being discussed right now. These guidelines would set nutritional standards. And, we want to ensure they are based on science, not lobbying by the interests of meat, soda, sugar, salt, and junk-food industries. They should not determine public health.

With comments on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee (“DGAC”) Report due May 8, 2015, we hope you'll join @MomsRising, @American_Heart, and @CSPI on Friday, March 27, at 1 p.m. EST for a #FoodFri Tweetchat.

At the chat, we’ll discuss what the DGAC report contains, why it’s important for Americans’ health, and what you can do to help ensure that we end up with strong national nutrition advice. Together, we can ensure that science based dietary guidelines are not watered down for the benefit of special-interest groups. Because our health is not for sale!  

Spread the word!

To join and follow the conversation on Twitter use the #FoodFri Hashtag in each tweet.

You can also follow the chat on Twubs.com/FoodFri. Twubs allows you to follow MomsRising’s registered hashtags by creating an account. Below I have noted the steps.

1. Create an account using an email or your Twitter account.
2. Enter the desired hashtag, #FoodFri, #WellnessWed or #EcoTipTue, in the search box found at the top of the page. Click Enter. A new page will open with the desired chat.
3. Find the “Join This Twub” button found on the right-hand side bar and join the group.
4. Adjust the speed of the conversation to your liking. Options are: Fast, Medium, Slow, Slower, or Slowest.
5. Introduce yourself and join the conversation, by entering your comment, tips, or questions in the “Tweet to #FoodFri as [YourName] box”
6. Or, respond to a specific tweet by hovering over the right-hand side of the individual’s tweet and selecting one of the icons.

More about our #FoodFri Featured Panelist(s):

 

Since 1971, CSPI has been a strong advocate for nutrition and health, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science.

Founded by executive director Michael Jacobson, Ph.D. and two other scientists, CSPI carved out a niche as the organized voice of the American public on nutrition, food safety, health and other issues during a boom of consumer and environmental protection awareness in the early 1970s. CSPI has long sought to educate the public, advocate government policies that are consistent with scientific evidence on health and environmental issues, and counter industry’s powerful influence on public opinion and public policies.

Connect with CSPI on their website, Twitter and Facebook.

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The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Their Mission: Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

To improve the lives of all Americans, they provide public health education in a variety of ways.

They’re the nation’s leader in CPR education training. They help people understand the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and provide science-based treatment guidelines to healthcare professionals to help ensure the best treatment for every patient, every time. They educate lawmakers, policy makers and the public as they advocate for changes to protect and improve the health of our communities.

Follow them on Twitter, @American_Heart.