From January 15 to 16, 2026, the first Tiantan Science Forum was held in Beijing. Focused on the theme Dietary Guidelines Research and Development Strategies, the forum brought together over 50 scholars from fields including health, agriculture, medicine, sports, and economics, aiming to inject diverse wisdom into the revision of the new edition of the Chinese Dietary Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as the new edition DG).

Tiantan, as the sacred site where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped Heaven and Earth, carries the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, revering Heaven and protecting the people, praying for peace and well-being. The ancients prayed for abundant harvests and prosperity for the people, with its core essence lying in safeguarding the fundamental needs of the populace, which is having food to rely on and nourishment for the body.

Professor Yang Yuexin, President of the Chinese Nutrition Society and Professor of the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, China CDC, noted in her opening address that, convening this new edition DG revision meeting under the banner of Tiantan Science Forum, precisely carries forward its historical mission of protecting people's livelihood. It elevates this traditional vision into a practical pathway that empowers national nutrition and health through modern science, providing solid technical support for the construction of a Healthy China. The forum serves as the starting point of a series of seminars; going forward, more scholars from various fields will be continuously invited to contribute their insights, ensuring that the new edition DG possess scientific rigor, practicality, and local characteristics, truly becoming an authoritative basis for guiding citizens in scientific eating and promoting high-quality development of the nutrition cause.

Subsequently, 15 scholars from the World Health Organization China Office, the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Nutrition Society, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, and Beijing Sport University delivered keynote speeches on topics including international food policies, current status and countermeasures of dietary nutrition intake in China, new discoveries in nutrition research, and the latest trends, principles, and procedures in dietary guidelines revision internationally and in various countries.

The release of the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines has drawn widespread attention in China. Participants engaged in lively discussions on scientific issues regarding the relationship between diet and health in China, food resource supply, and dietary behaviors. The consensus was that since its first release in 1989, the Chinese Dietary Guidelines have consistently served as the cornerstone for safeguarding national health, guiding the Chinese people toward a new lifestyle of scientific eating. With the severe challenges of high chronic disease prevalence and rising overweight and obesity rates, optimizing dietary structure is no longer merely a personal health choice, but a major public issue concerning the nation’s long-term development.

Finally, in her closing remarks, President Yang Yuexin emphasized that the new DG revision will uphold the principles of evidence-based science, consensus-building, and openness and transparency, pooling wisdom from multiple sources to create an authoritative guideline, thereby safeguarding and facilitating the comprehensive advancement of Healthy China construction and the enhancement of people’s well-being.