Nutritional Scientist Named to USDA Dietary Guidelines Committee

February 22, 2019 • by Esther Robards-Forbes
Photo of healthy foods such as grapefruit and mango

Profile pic of Heather Leidy

The USDA drafts new dietary guidelines every five years that are used to help inform food policy, federal nutrition programs and public health policy.

According to the USDA release: "The next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will continue to focus on dietary patterns of what Americans eat and drink as a whole, on average and over time, to help prevent disease and keep people healthy. Additionally, the review process will take a life-stage approach and will, for the first time, include pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill."

Leidy's research focuses on the relationship between protein and weight management, particularly in young people. She also studies the connection between breakfast consumption, circadian rhythms and sleep behavior. She earned her B.S. in biology from Shippensburg University, her M.S. in physiology at Penn State and her Ph.D. in physiology from Penn State. After completing postdoctoral work at the Ingestive Behavior Research Center and the Department of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, she joined the faculty of Purdue. She will arrive in Austin this fall. 

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