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MyPyramid

(April 29, 2005 column)

Now I’m really confused.

“One size doesn’t fit all” is the central theme for the new USDA food guide pyramid. Because collectively, we aren’t a very bright lot, USDA decided to dump the 12-year old well-recognized food pyramid (I found a copy of it on a box of crackers in my cupboard last night) for a new and improved version.

Actually, there are 12 new and improved versions, and that is where the confusion comes in. The weighty issue of American’s poor health due to obesity, lack of exercise, and general slug-like behavior, motivated USDA to build a new pyramid encouraging healthy eating and exercise and urging the consumer to use an Internet site to design a personalized plan for eating healthy. The 12 different pyramids include dietary recommendations based on a person’s age and activity levels. Called “MyPyramid,” USDA’s press release states, “The MyPyramid symbol, which is deliberately simple, is meant to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices and to be active every day.”

Instead of following a general guide where you are supposed to eat so many servings from the milk group, so many servings from the bread group, etc., the new pyramid is all about me. USDA says, “MyPyramid, is part of an overall food guidance system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle.” The new pyramid allows me to find a personalized recommendation of the kinds and amounts of food to eat each day. It encourages gradual improvement by the slogan, “Steps to a Healthier You.” It suggests that individuals can benefit from taking small steps to improve their diet and lifestyle each day. Physical activity, variety, moderation and proportionality are all promoted in the newly minted pyramid.

According to USDA, “The American diet is not in balance. On average, Americans don’t eat enough dark greens, orange vegetables and legumes, fruits, whole grains and low-fat milk products. They eat more fats and added sugars. To bring the diet into balance, MyPyramid recommends eating more of the under-consumed foods and less solid fats, added sugars, and caloric sweeteners and foods rich in these.”

Go to www.MyPyramid.gov for a look. The new system utilizes interactive technology and activities to show you what you should eat and how much you should exercise, depending upon age and gender. There are interactive tools and steps for me, including work sheets and tracking plans, to use in my journey up the steps of MyPyramid.

Tongue in cheek, I poke fun at this new pyramid, but I do believe it will be a great tool in the classroom. I hope teachers will take advantage of MyPyramid. Unfortunately, it appears that most youngsters today are not learning about moderation between food and exercise at home. (Many of you reading this didn’t need to “learn” about moderation because as kids you were so busy being active playing or doing chores that it didn’t come up.)

I often hear that most poor Americans are less likely you are to have the money to spend on fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. If you are so poor that you cannot afford to buy healthy food, I doubt you can afford to buy a computer and pay for internet access.