My Plate to Replace My Pyramid

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July 26, 2011--

After nearly 20 years of a food system that precipitated the greatest body fat gain in the history of the U.S., will the United States Department of Agriculture (USGA) finally get the formula right with My Plate?

Last month the USGA released My Plate to replace the disastrous effects that original Pyramid and My Pyramid had on our population. Since the Pyramid was first introduced in 1992 over 66% of Americans are now either overweight or obese, many morbidly obese.

The My Plate graphic above is the 3rd try by the USGA to educate the public to proper nutrition. The first 2 tries led to an obesity epidemic, is the the 3rd try the charm?

The second My Pyramid was more confusing to the average person than the original pyramid. There was no way to quickly visualize the proper proportion of macronutrients. The saving grace is that the 2005 version introduced exercise as a vital component to good health. But the overweight problem in America still kept marching along.

The new My Plate was unveiled with much ceremony by first lady, Michelle Obama, disclosing a simpler image of a plate divided into basic food groups.

fruits
vegetables
grains
protein

A smaller circle sits beside it for dairy products.

"This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we're eating," Mrs. Obama said. "We're all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it's hard to find time to sort through all this information, but we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates."

If the filled plate looks like the symbol, with lots of fruits and vegetables, she said, "then we're good, it's as simple as that."

The Agriculture Department has created a Web site, www.ChooseMyPlate.com, that elaborates on the guidance reflected in the plate's design. It includes tip sheets with recommendations like eating fish twice a week and avoiding high-fat, salty foods like salami and bologna.

The plate was created by the Agriculture Department with advice from the first lady's anti-obesity team and federal health officials. The Agriculture Department said that it had conducted focus groups with about 4,500 people, including children, as it developed the plate.

Nutritionists are Cautiously Optimistic -- Some Criticism

Nutritionists are cautiously optimistic that the American public will finally understand this model.

The introduction of roughly 25% of protein on the plate will balance off the other carbohydrates, provided they're good carbohydrates.

However, the My Plate does not differentiate fruits with higher glycemic loads which will still cause weight gain. Pulverized grains and filtered fruit juices (bad carbohydrates) will spike insulin and cause weight gain. And, it is painfully evident that that dairy association made sure they were represented on the chart, even though grown-up have very little need for dairy products from a health perspective.

Posting date: 07/26/2011

Source: New York Times

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2005 MyPyramid: What the USDA Won’t Tell You

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