At your annual check-up next year, the doctor might suggest cutting your carbon footprint along with your carbs. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recommendations for a healthful diet are expected any day now and the latest draft circulated in December included sustainability and environmental impact of food as factors to promote good health.

Last week I led a PBS NewsHour Twitter Chat on the controversy over whether the DGAC’s draft inclusion of sustainability considerations and the environmental impact of foods was good public policy. The Chat confirmed one thing: Food is as personal and political as any issue out there.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were first released in 1980 and are updated every five