Pyramid

White Paper - Researched and Written by Sally Rushmore

Touring the Food Pyramid

Eating healthy just got easier. Americans have been using the Food Guide Pyramid for the past 13 years to determine how many servings of grains, vegetables and fruits, proteins, milk, and oils they should eat each day. April 19, 2005, that pyramid got tipped on its side and updated. Actually, there are now several different variations to help consumers individualize the guide, each of which includes a person climbing the stairs of the pyramid to represent physical activity.

Why We Need A New Guide

Since the original food pyramid was introduced, the number of obese Americans has risen nearly 60%, and now one of every three adults is overweight, with nearly one in five adults actually being obese. While the original Food Guide Pyramid was widely recognized by the general U. S. population, few followed its guidelines.

The United States Department of Health (USDA) has provided consumers with nutrition information and dietary guidance for over 100 years. In January 2005, the USDA released the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an update reflecting new research in nutrition and technological advances in the research process. In addition, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has released new data on the nutritional content of foods and on food consumption patterns.
Since the original Pyramid’s publication, new nutrition standards have been published by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine. These are now collectively titled Dietary Reference Intakes, and replace the former Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs).

The new guide’s purposes are 1) to improve its effectiveness in motivating consumers to make healthier food choices and 2) ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food guidance system reflects the latest nutritional science.

How to Get the New Guide

Although the new guidelines, dubbed “MyPyramid,” are not designed to help people lose weight, they should help people learn healthier eating habits and make them aware of weight problems that exist. The primary goal for MyPyramid is to encourage dietary and physical activity behavior change among American consumers.

For those with an Internet connection, using MyPyramid is a simple 1-2-3: (1) go to www.mypyramid.gov, (2) in the box at the upper right called “My Pyramid Plan,” type age and gender in the correct blanks and select the amount of exercise the person averages per day, and (3) click “submit” to get your personalized weekly eating plan, complete with helpful tips and a meal tracking worksheet. Included are guidelines for portion size and ideas for varying vegetables and proteins.

For those without access to the Internet, there are posters of the new pyramid which not only show the pyramid but also show sample foods at the base of each band of color. Below the pyramid is a broader definition of each group, a motto for the group (such as “Focus on Fruits”), and suggestions for amounts of each food group for a person needing a 2,000-calorie diet to eat.

How to Use the New Guide

MyPyramid has eliminated the pictures of various foods in favor of a simpler stand-alone visual. Six vertical color bands on the pyramid represent the groups of food and suggest four themes. Proportionality is shown by the different widths of the food group bands. Accordingly, the band for oils is very narrow and the one for fruits and vegetables is quite wide. The use of various colors illustrates that foods from all groups are needed each day for good health, thus showing the importance of variety in diet. The bands narrow from bottom to top, symbolizing that moderation is important to a healthy lifestyle. Foods with a wider base have little or no solid fats or added sugar. The person climbing the steps suggests personalization while the steps themselves correspond to activity with the idea of gradual improvement. In fact, the slogan “Steps to a Healthier You” also is aimed at helping each consumer take the message personally and act on it in a series of steps in order to become healthier.

Since 73% of U. S. adults regularly use the computer and 90% of those access the Internet, one of the main features of MyPyramid is the use of multiple channels including the Internet to effectively reach consumers. Using the interactive features on the Internet, consumers learn what and how much to eat. The pyramid itself is individualized for their age, gender, and activity level. The Tracker system allows consumers to enter the foods they eat and their physical activities for the day. There is a chart that shows what food groups are missing (frowning face), which ones are correct in amount (smiling face), and which ones have been overindulged (unhappy face). That is followed by a bar-graph comparison of foods eaten to the recommended amounts of each food group. A summary of “Energy Intake” versus “Energy Requirement” uses a see-saw graphic with weights representing the calories of each. Consumers can even track up to a full year of food intake on a graph.

A child-friendly version of MyPyramid is being developed for use with 6-11-year-olds. It will be promoted for both classroom and home use. It will emphasize the importance of making smart eating and physical activity choices.

What to Expect with MyPyramid

The primary goal of MyPyramid is to encourage American consumers to make behavior changes concerning their eating and physical activity choices. The USDA plans to help teachers work with children to make better choices, to develop more interactive tools for consumers, and to work with partners to reach all consumers with its messages. The overall intent is that MyPyramid will more effectively teach consumers what and how much to eat through clear, tailored nutrition messages and diet personalization, that it will help combat obesity by encouraging healthier eating patterns, and that it will help to improve the overall health and well-being of Americans.