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For much of the 20th century, nutrition research focused largely on the health risks and benefits of single nutrients. The findings translated into public health messages telling us to reduce fat; limit cholesterol; increase fiber; get more calcium; take vitamins E, C, and D; and so on. But as scientists learn more, they’re finding that the health effects of food likely derive from the synergistic interactions of nutrients and other compounds within and among the foods we eat. This has led to a shift from nutrient-based recommendations toward guidelines based on foods and eating patterns. There’s no single healthy diet. Many eating patterns sustain good health. What they have in common is lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with healthy sources of protein and fats. Consistently eating foods like these will help lower your risk for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. If you’d like to make this largely plant-based approach to e...

Dr. Walter Willett is Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Willett, an American, was born in Hart, Michigan and grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, studied food science at Michigan State University, and graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School before obtaining a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Willett has focused much of his work over the last 30 years on the development of methods, using both questionnaire and biochemical approaches, to study the effects of diet on the occurrence of major diseases. He has applied these methods starting in 1980 in the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Together, these cohorts that include nearly 300,000 men and women with repeated dietary assessments are providing the most detailed information on the long-term health consequen...