Cowlitz County health officer outlines new federal dietary guidance and reports local measles exposures
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Summary
Health Officer Steve Craig briefed the Board of Health on newly released federal dietary guidance emphasizing whole foods, limits on highly processed foods and added sugar for children; he also reported that Cowlitz County residents were identified among those exposed to a Clark County measles case from Ridgefield High School.
Cowlitz County Health Officer Steve Craig reviewed the new federal dietary guidance at Tuesday's Board of Health meeting and provided an update on a recent local measles exposure traced to a Clark County case.
Craig said the guidance places larger emphasis on fruits and vegetables, protein and full‑fat dairy, and calls attention to limiting highly processed foods and added sugar for children. "I generally like the message of, you know, eat real food," Craig said, adding the new guidance is shorter and more visual than the earlier 164‑page report, which has pros and cons for public understanding.
Craig noted some messaging challenges — for example, the guidance praises full‑fat dairy and cooking with butter while not changing the overall recommended limit on saturated fat — and said states will have discretion over implementation in programs like school lunch and SNAP/WIC. He suggested local conversations about funding school kitchens and helping schools move toward scratch cooking if policy changes increase procurement expectations.
On infectious disease, Craig said there has been a recent rise in measles nationwide. He reported eight cases in the state this year and that Clark County announced a case linked to Ridgefield High School; Cowlitz County residents were among those exposed, he said. Craig reminded the board that measles can have an incubation period of up to 21 days and explained public health steps — exposure notification, staying home if exposed, symptom monitoring and testing — and urged people who suspect infection to call ahead before visiting clinical settings to avoid exposing waiting rooms.
Board members asked practical questions about vaccine‑derived and disease‑derived immunity, chain‑of‑infection concepts and how the guidance affects vulnerable groups; staff emphasized the limits of local funding and the importance of targeting foundational public health services.
The Board of Health elected Kelly Lane as chair and Karen Joyner as vice chair and then continued a broader discussion about department priorities given funding constraints.
