A few words about the Food Pyramid

The first dietary guidelines recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture were published 115 years ago.  In 1894, W.O. Atwater was the first director of the Office of Experiment Stations in the USDA.  Even then Atwater had identified that Americans consumed too much fat and sweets and did not implement enough exercise in their lifestyles.  Atwater pioneered the scientific movement that relates what we eat to how healthy we are.  In his words, "Unless care is exercised in selecting food, a diet may result which is one-sided or badly balanced--that is, one in which either protein or fuel ingredients (carbohydrate and fat) are provided in excess...The evils of overeating may not be felt at once, but sooner or later they are sure to appear--perhaps in an excessive amount of fatty tissue, perhaps in general debility, perhaps in actual disease."  He was ahead of his time, and Americans are still grappling with the seemingly magic composition of the perfect food regimen and how it relates to their bulging abdomens and irrepressible patterns of disease.  

Since 1894 the USDA has adopted at least six different types of food guides.  They have adapted through the years based on nutritional discoveries, Great Depression availability, war-time rations, rise of industrial agriculture and health concerns.  The food guides were often, and still are, adjusted to include multiple spending levels.  The first actual Food Guide Pyramid was devised starting in 1988 and released finally in 1992 as a graphic means of communicating with everyday Americans.  It seems that, despite the continued advances in our supposed understanding of nutrition as well as attempts at giving guidelines, the health and wellness of Americans has steadily declined.  So, once again, the guidance was adjusted.

In 2005, the USDA transformed the updated 5-year research plan, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, into the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System.  While not straying from the pyramid theme, the USDA attempted to transition from the former supposition that one recommendation was good for all Americans to the more practical approach that each person's diet must suit his or her lifestyle, while still providing the basic nutrients and dietary components.  

How it works:  

The pyramid is divided into a rainbow of colors, depicting the importance of variety among different food groups--whole grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk products & meat/beans.  The widths of the bands at the bottom of the pyramid correspond to the proportion of your daily intake that should come from that group.  At this point we are all generally equal.  The vertical story of the pyramid is our personal differentiator.  Since you can't miss it, check out the android stick-figure racing up the staircase on the side.  These steps are a visual reminder that adequate daily exercise is an imperative part of our health.  The recommendation is now set at 60 minutes on "most days of the week," with further encouragement to pursue 90 minutes if you are overweight.  With this increase in physical activity comes the narrowing of each food group from bottom to top. The wider base stands for foods with little or no solid fats or added sugars. These should be selected more often. The narrower top area stands for foods containing more added sugars and solid fats. The more active you are, the more of these foods can fit into your diet.  Wow.  Now, that is a lot of pyramid for the average deep-fried-twinkie-loving American to remember.  

That all sounds well and almost good.  However, it changes absolutely nothing with respect to what and how most people will shop for food and eat it.  Bingo.  This is exactly the outcome that the wealthy lobbying food industry giants wanted from the pyramid.   Taking a closer look, one glance tells most people that almost half of their daily intake can come from the bread and milk group.  First of all, I don't know a faster way to put on weight than to eat bread and milk.  Second, the changes come from some new buzzwords like, "whole grain," but the mega food producers are right there lining the shelves with processed foods touting the magical wonders of those whole grains.  For instance, Wheat Thins and Fig Newtons are prominently marked 100% whole grain.  Does this make them healthy?  Here is another:  the Nutrigrain Bar.  Delicious, nutritious breakfast?  It has 8 grams of whole grains!  And all those delicious berries just bursting right off the package... Why is it, then, that the first two ingredients on the label are high-fructose corn syrup and corn syrup?    Darn, and just when that mom was thinking she could knock off a whole grain and a fruit.  Is this your picture of health?  I don't think so--but what do you all know?

The guidelines ultimately leave all the underlying choices to each individual.  In the fine print there is terminology about discretionary calories and only consuming around 10% of your calories in junk food, but with the mixed messages it can be quite difficult to clarify.  In addition, the food giants are coloring their packaging materials with the food pyramid graphic, so unassuming mothers see it and think--aha, healthy choice for my child.  What a pity.  Really, if you need a label to figure out what is in the product, maybe it isn't worth eating.

If you have a need to read further, this is the text I will be buying this week: Marion Nestle's, Food Politics, How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health.  Also, one that I can unequivocally recommend is Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto.  Chuck the Food Pyramid and enjoy these while you are spending your 60 minutes on the Stair-Master.