Last week, the US Dietary Guidelines Committee—which is a group of really healthy government employees—issued their latest guidelines on how and what you should eat. I could list a few of the findings but I have better advice: ignore them.

Why? Firstly, they’re likely to change next week. We’ve all seen this in action: one day, Americans are told eggs are good for you only to be told to avoid them the next. At one point pregnant women were told to avoid tuna fish; today, expectant moms are told that fish is an important source of food for a growing baby. Booze was good last month, but bad this month.

But there’s a second and probably more compelling reason to ignore the dietary guidelines: given the schizophrenic nature of this government-issued diet advice, it’s better and probably safer that you decide what’s best for you based on your own conversations with your doctor or your nutritionists.

You see, humans are, in fact, snowflakes. Conservatives like to make fun of such claims but the truth is, we are all unique and that’s why one-size-fits-all nutrition advice rarely serves anyone. It isn’t hard to see this play out in our own lives. We all have that friend who can seemingly eat anything without gaining a pound and many of us have that friend who struggles with their weight and health. It may be cliché, but we all come in different shapes and sizes and as such, we require different diets.

Of course, the guidelines offer some good advice—watch your sugar intake, limit fat and make sure you’re consuming lean meats. But does this advice require a taxpayer funded 500-plus-page document and a year of study on behalf of government employees? Peruse through the committee’s findings and you’ll agree that most of the guidelines belongs in the “duh” category.

If you’re interested in your own health, my advice is to ignore these guidelines. But Congress shouldn’t ignore this waste of taxpayer dollars. 

#FreakoutFriday is a proud collaboration between The American Spectator and the Independent Womens’ Forum.