WASHINGTON: Food and beverage companies are working to understand the implications of the proposed new dietary guidelines that say Americans consume too much added sugar, fat, and sodium.

“The guidelines are looked to as a guidepost as to what's appropriate for marketing food and contributing to the overall well-being of consumers,” says Wendy Love, EVP of consumer marketing at GolinHarris.

The guidelines, most recently branded as MyPyramid, are released every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the ...