A U.S. lawmaker wants the federal government to probe potential conflicts of interest held by members of a panel created to set dietary guidelines after learning one panelist was a paid consultant to a drug company that sells weight loss treatments.
In January, the federal health and agriculture departments formed the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to generate a report that provides advice on meeting dietary needs, promoting health, and preventing disease. The 20 members of the panel are academics and physicians who have backgrounds in nutrition and public health.
