Nutrition Guidelines as Political Signals

National dietary guidance is increasingly a political instrument: shifts in official advice (e.g., reinstating whole milk in schools) reflect ideological coalitions as much as emerging science. When federal agencies flip long‑standing recommendations, they immediately rewire school programs, industry incentives, and public‑health messaging. — If dietary guidelines are treated as political signals, every change becomes a high‑leverage policy move that reshapes markets, childhood nutrition, and the credibility of public health institutions.