The Food Pyramid - Jennifer
Answer
What is the Food Pyramid?
It is an illustration of nutritional guidelines designed to help Americans choose a healthy diet. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and launched to the public in 1992. The pyramid outlines how many servings people should eat, from the most at the bottom, to the least at the top. It does not encourage or discourage specific foods but emphasizes healthy choices in total diet. Also, it is the basis for nutritional guidance used by federal food programs and a congressional mandate requires its revision every five years.
How did the USDA get it wrong?
The health of Americans related to weight has not improved since the food pyramid was unveiled in 1992. Critics of the pyramid blame its flawed dietary recommendations and point to the following as having the most health-damaging effects.
Recommends 6-11 servings from the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group which ignores the fact that some carbohydrates are less healthy than others. For example whole grains are healthier than refined grains.
No distinction in the Vegetable Group between fresh vegetables and processed vegetables in sauce. Also, includes potatoes which are a starch.
No distinction in the Fruit Group between fresh fruit and canned fruit in syrup.
Recommends 2-3 servings from the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group which implies that all protein sources are equally good for you. It doesn't distinguish between high-fat and low-fat meats or processed meats.
Recommends 2-3 servings from the Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group which implies that dairy foods are essential. Calcium is essential not dairy.
Recommends to use Fats sparingly which implies that all fats are bad when some fats are good and even beneficial, such as monounsaturated fats.
Why did they get it wrong?
With so much time and money spent by the USDA creating the pyramid and its dietary guidelines, it's important to understand why they got it wrong. A review of its development suggest that there were two main reasons.
- By trying to keep it simple for the American public, the dietary guidelines originally purposed were oversimplified which resulted in recommendations that went against the known nutritional science of the time.
- The USDA's development of the Food Pyramid has been criticized as a conflict of interest since one of their goals is to support the American agriculture industry. In response to industry lobbying and in an attempt to avoid upsetting food manufacturers, the Food Guide Pyramid does not show any foods that Americans should eat less of which does not reflect current nutrition science.
Video Link:
Discussion of the Food Pyramid FAQs
References
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Gordon, A. and Hobbes, M. (Hosts). (2022, November 15). The Food Pyramid (No. 57) [Audio podcast episode]. In Maintenance Phase. Positive Moves LLC. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-food-pyramid/id1535408667?i=1000586252060
Hunter, B. T. (1995). The food guide pyramid. In Consumers’ research magazine (Vol. 78, Number 9, pp. 8-). Consumers’ Research Incorporated.
The Lancet. (2005). America’s new “food pyramid.” The Lancet (British Edition), 365(9470), 1516–1516. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66430-6
Nestle, M. (2013). Food politics : how the food industry influences nutrition and health (Revised and expanded tenth anniversary edition.). University of California Press.
Public Views Sought On Food Pyramid: FINAL Edition. (2003). The Washington Post.
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Severson, K. (2005). The Government’s Pyramid Scheme. The New York Times.
Weinraub, J. (2003). The Power of the Pyramid; The Government’s Symbol Of Healthful Eating Still Reigns Supreme. But Should It?: FINAL Edition. The Washington Post.
Willett, W. (2001). Eat, drink, and be healthy : the Harvard Medical School guide to healthy eating. Simon & Schuster Source.
United States Department of Agriculture Human Information Services. (1992). Food guide pyramid a guide to daily food choices. https://search.nal.usda.gov/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma9916347005607426&context=L&vid=01NAL_INST:MAIN&lang=en&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&query=any,contains,food%20guide%20pyramid%20poster