Final answer:
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the USDA and the HHS, promote health and lower the risk of chronic disease by focusing on a balanced diet and active lifestyle, embodied in the MyPlate visual tool.
Step-by-step explanation:
The set of nutrition principles developed by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and the HHS (Health and Human Services) to help promote health and reduce the risk of chronic disease is called c) Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines are part of a comprehensive approach that encourages Americans to eat healthfully and maintain an active lifestyle to achieve and sustain a balanced physical well-being. The MyPlate guidelines correlate directly with these Dietary Guidelines, providing a visual representation to help individuals create a balanced and healthy diet.
Recognizing that diet and lifestyle greatly affect health and the prevalence of chronic diseases, these guidelines seek to manage energy homeostasis, which involves maintaining a balance between calories consumed through food and those expended by the body. The evolution of the USDA food guidance from early models like the Four Food Groups and the Food Guide Pyramid to the current MyPlate model reflects growing knowledge in nutrition science and public health.
Ultimately, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans aim to educate the public and guide policies that improve overall health across the nation, taking into account the latest research and evidence in nutritional science. Adhering to these guidelines can lead to significant health benefits, decreasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.