Bye-Bye Food Pyramid of The Past, US Steps Up with a New Plate.
I am sure I am not the only person to remember lessons on the “Food Pyramid” from my elementary school days. It was a hard thing to understand. The bottom of it filled with breads, grains, and pasta looked massive but really only was intended to represent 6-11 servings a day. The representations weren’t proportioned correctly and the person looking at it would think they were supposed to consume twice as much grains as vegetables or protein.
Several people complained about this misrepresentation. It probably was overdue for some adjustments, however the food industry stepped in and complained that it was suggesting that you should consume the foods at the bottom of the pyramid more than the ones at the top (of course it did), and they felt this was unfair. Nutritionist became involved and stated that this could lead to obesity.
In 2005 after heeding the complaints and answering the call for change, the USDA responded by offering up the unbiased and un-useful “My Pyramid.” Complicated to read, and requiring the use of a computer and website, this adaptation never caught on. At the very least its predecessor taught us to eat more of some food and less of others. The travesty that was “My Pyramid” appeared to be based on a rainbow with equal points and did not clearly convey the importance of limiting some food choices to healthy amounts.
On May 26, the US Department of Agriculture announced that it will be releasing a new “food icon” to replace “My Pyramid”. This will be clearer, easier to understand, and more helpful for those trying to figure out the healthiest way to eat. This decision was made after the 2010 US Child Obesity Task Force called for a better tool representing the current dietary guidelines. They haven’t released the official version of what the newbie will look like, however rumors state it will be in the shape of a dinner plate. This fresh idea has the potential to be widely useable and liked by professionals in a nutritional and clinical setting.
The official release of the new icon appearance will be on June 2, 2011. A live feed will be streamed at www.usda.gov/live. All the details will be posted at www.cnpp.usda.gov.
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