LESS LIES

More Truth

The USDA released the updated 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans in January 2011. This most recent report, which addresses an overweight and obese American public, may be the best yet. Like the 2005 report, the 2010 guidelines point out that Americans don’t eat enough vegetables or whole grains and, instead, eat too much fat and sugar. I commend these guidelines for praising plant-based diets and devoting more attention to how one can healthily consume a vegetarian or vegan diet.

While there are some high points, it takes some reading between the lines to really decipher the meaning of the guidelines. The guidelines use vague terms like “saturated fat” and “refined grains” to describe food components the American public is overeating. The term “SoFAS” is used to represent added sugars and solid fats. To even a well-educated American, the word “sofa” is generally used to describe a small couch.

It’s the use of these misleading words that led the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to file yet another lawsuit against the federal government on February 15, 2011. PCRM states that using these biochemical terms instead of naming actual foods like “meat and cheese” keeps Americans eating these unhealthy foods. “What Americans really should be told is we need to eat less red meat, less cheese, less ice cream, and less refined grains,” Dr. Walter Willett said in a National Public Radio interview.

Why is it so hard for the government to call out the main culprits? Although the potential for conflict of interest still exists among committee members, these guidelines seem to be more transparent  than in years past. The guidelines committee recommended that the USDA and HHS convene separate committees to develop strategies for implementing these recommendations. They even admitted, “the actions needed to implement key recommendations likely differ by goal.

In response to the updated 2010 Dietary Guidelines, the USDA announced its replacement of My Pyramid with MyPlate.  The icon was revealed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and First Lady Michelle Obama. The goal of the My Plate icon is to simplify nutritional information so it’s more useful to the average family. The First Lady says, “When it comes to eating, what’s more useful than a plate?” And she’s right. It makes you wonder why it took so long to present such a basic, recognizable tool.

Unlike the pyramids of the past which attempted to convey how much you should eat based on the colors and relative sizes of sections on the pyramid, MyPlate focuses on the portion sizes at each meal through simple divisions of a plate. It makes it visually obvious that half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

The My Plate icon also features selected messages, like “avoid over sized portions” and “enjoy your food, but eat less.” However, as with the pyramid, you must visit the MyPlate website for specific instructions on what to eat. MyPlate is a huge step toward instilling healthy changes in Americans, but it still has many shortcomings.

Why does dairy continue to be an essential part of the meal, when the evidence showing the risks of dairy consumption outweighing the benefits continues to mount? If we know refined grains are linked to chronic diseases like obesity, and we know that Americans consume too many refined grains, shouldn't the recommendation be for all grains to be whole?

From: "Integrative Nutrition"

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"CHIT CHAT WON'T BURN FAT"