USDA PART 3

Still Lying to US

Following the release of the Dietary Guidelines in April 2005, the USDA redesigned the food pyramid, which stood more or less unchanged since its first appearance in 1992, and renamed it “MyPyramid.” The pyramid is the visual representation of the 2005 guidelines; it’s the main exposure most Americans get to the guidelines. The new design turns the original pyramid on its side, dividing it into six different colored sections representing the food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans, and oils.

The human figure climbing stairs to the left of the pyramid illustrates the importance of exercise and matches the slogan, “Steps to a Healthier You.” The design is colorful and appealing, but the pyramid itself contains little information about how much to eat. For instance, the vegetable section is about the same size as the milk section. Does this mean that you should consume the same amount of milk and vegetables?

My Pyramid’s advice from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, shows some improvement from the previous pyramid. It draws attention to both leafy green vegetables and whole grains, two groups the old pyramid was missing. It addresses the concept of healthy fats with advice to get most of your fat from fish, nuts and vegetable oils. For the first time, beans, seeds and nuts are recognized as legitimate sources of protein, and the pyramid even recommends “varying your protein routine and choosing more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.”

 The milk section includes a comment for people who “don’t or can’t consume milk,” marking the first time the USDA has acknowledged that not everyone can digest dairy. Even with these advances, My Pyramid is far from an easily understood, legitimate and accurate presentation of what foods are necessary for health.

I believe no one diet is right for everyone, and My Pyramid recognizes this fact by having the 12 different pyramids, depending on the individual’s gender, age and activity level. To get specific instructions on the appropriate amounts of food, you must visit the My Pyramid website. The link is: www.mypyramid.gov/

On the website, you are asked to input personal information and then you are presented with “customized recommendations”—one of 12 pyramids, with eating plans designed to cater to individual needs. But a closer look reveals that the advice in each of the pyramids is very similar: make half your grains *whole, vary your veggies, get your calcium-rich foods, go lean on protein and limit calories from extra sugar and fat.

The disparity is minimal, missing the concept of different diets for different people. How about a pyramid for people on a vegetarian or vegan diet? Or what if the website asked people if they felt better with more protein or more carbohydrates in their diet, and then specified dietary advice based on that information?

My Pyramid also promotes the idea that we can eat as much as we want, as long as we exercise every day. Calories in, calories out is a concept that benefits both the food and the exercise industries. The pyramid was constructed for people who exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day. A better plan would create a pyramid for people who do not exercise at all, since that is what most Americans are doing.

The USDA still has a long way to go before it can make real waves in the public’s understanding of how to eat well. Directing people to a website for nutrition advice makes the issue more complex than it needs to be. It is not difficult to clearly state what foods are beneficial or detrimental to health, yet somehow the USDA has missed the mark.

So much so that a Minnesota couple created a spoof website, Mypyramid.org, poking fun at the USDA’s website and its recommendations. Web designer Molly Nutting said she wanted to alert people to the political and financial interests behind the food industry. The site has since become the home of the Agribusiness Accountability Initiative, tracking links between the food industry and the USDA.

Based on the publication, "Integrative Nutrition"

Read in good health and afterwards, “Get Up Get Moving” and remember,

“CHIT CHAT WON”T BURN FAT”

Jay