The Obama administration released its new dietary guidelines — and it's bad news for those with a sweet tooth

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published 7 January 2016

Here is some bad news for anyone with a sweet tooth: The Obama administration updated its dietary guidelines on Thursday, with one major change from the last report — Americans should cut way, way back on sugar.

The government guidelines are updated every five years based on new nutritional research. Now, researchers recommend Americans consume no more than 10 percent of their daily calories from sugar. That would mean for a 2,000-calorie daily diet, a person should limit himself to no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. By comparison, the average American is believed to eat or drink 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. Other studies put that number as high as 30 teaspoons.

Surprising some experts, the new guidelines appeared less strict about other food groups, like proteins. Even though a World Health Organization report earlier this year warned of the dangers of eating processed or red meats, the Obama administration's final guidelines merely suggested Americans "shift towards other protein foods" such as nuts, seeds, and seafood.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.