Americans will have to change their behavior if they want to lead a healthy lifestyle, according to the 2005 national dietary guidelines.

For the past 25 years, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture have given advice to Americans.

This year’s guidelines are more specific than before by recommending a set amount of exercise to maintain and lose weight. To maintain weight or lose weight, Americans should exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day.

For many college students, this is not always possible.

“A lot of it depends on class schedules and if you’re working,” said Laura Hannasch, junior in health and human performance. “I think it’s really important to do it and I love to exercise, but I find it hard to find time in the day to go to the rec.”

Doug King, professor of heath and human performance, said he thought the guidelines were unreasonable in that area because it required more calories to be lost to exercise than are taken in by eating.

A new visual graphic will replace the food pyramid in the spring.

• To reduce the risk of disease: Exercise 30 minutes five days a week while eating healthily
• To maintain weight: Exercise 60 minutes
• To lose weight: Exercise 60-90 minutes

• Every day, eat:
  2 cups of fruit
  2 1/2 cups of vegetables
  3 or more ounces of whole-grain products
  3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products
  Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated and trans fatty acids
  1 teaspoon of salt

One alcoholic drink for women, two alcoholic drinks for men

• Food safety:
  Clean hands, surfaces and fruits and vegetables.
  Don’t rinse meat or poultry.
  Separate raw and cooked food.
  Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill microorganisms.
  Refrigerate perishable food promptly.
  Avoid raw milk, eggs, meat, unpasteurized juices and raw sprouts.

— Information from The Dietary Guidelines

for Americans 2005