To assess and monitor the dietary status of Americans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion developed the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). The HEI consists of 10 components, each representing different aspects of a healthful diet: Components 1-5 measure the degree to which a person's diet conforms to serving recommendations for the five major food groups of the Food Guide Pyramid (grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat); Components 6 and 7 measure total fat and saturated fat consumption, respectively, as a percentage of total food energy intake; Components 8 and 9 measure total cholesterol and sodium intake; and Component 10 examines variety in a person's diet. The HEI was computed for people 2 years old and over and subgroups of the population; data from the 1999- 2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to derive their HEI scores. Most people had a diet that needs improvement. Ten percent of the population had a good diet, 16 percent had a poor diet, and the remainder had a diet that needs improvement. Americans need especially to improve their consumption of fruit and milk products. Males age 15 to 18, in particular, tended to have lower quality diets. Non-Hispanic Blacks, low-income groups, and those with a high school diploma or less education also had lower quality diets. The diets of Americans have not changed since 1996, but they have improved since 1989. These updated findings provide a better understanding of the types of dietary changes needed to improve people's eating patterns.