Posted on 04/19/2005 5:27:38 AM PDT by stacytec
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department will discard its nearly 15-year-old Food Guide Pyramid, blamed by some nutritionists for the country's growing childhood obesity problem, and unveil on Tuesday a new food guide symbol to encourage healthy eating.
Plastered on the walls of almost every school cafeteria in the United States, the Food Pyramid is heavy on grains and light on fats and oils.
"The pyramid was partially responsible for the obesity epidemic ... because it aggressively pushed a low-fat and high-carbohydrate diet," said Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the popular South Beach Diet.
The USDA Food Pyramid, created in 1992, displays bread, cereal, rice and pasta at the base, indicating that consumers should eat the most from that group. Vegetables and fruits split the next, smaller level of the pyramid, while dairy products and meat, fish, eggs and poultry share the next tier. At the pyramid's tip are fats, oils and sweets, which should be eaten sparingly.
The Food Pyramid was the successor to circles and "food wheels" that followed the development of written food guides in the early 1900s. Over the years, consumers have been told to balance their intake among four, five, seven or 12 food groups.
Although federal officials say that the vast majority of Americans readily recognize the Food Guide Pyramid, two-thirds of adults are overweight. About 14 percent of U.S. children are overweight, triple the amount of 20 years ago.
Obesity caused by poor diet and physical inactivity is blamed for 400,000 deaths a year.
FLOATING BALLOONS?
The USDA has received numerous recommendations on what the next symbol should be, from a circle or a square to floating balloons.
The new symbol will reflect the government's updated daily nutrition guidelines which encourage eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
The USDA has been tight-lipped about its new symbol. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns scheduled a news conference on Tuesday morning to unveil "USDA's new symbol and food guidance system."
"Whatever the symbol is, we hope that it is easy for adults and children to understand and to use to make healthy eating choices," said Eric Peterson, spokesman for the School Nutrition Association.
Officials with various food industry trade groups said they had not been informed what kind of graphic image the USDA planned to adopt. The issue is important to many of the groups, which are eager to ensure that their food product is prominently featured.
The federal guidelines, updated in January, recommend eating up to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and specify that at least three of the daily servings of grain be whole grains such as whole wheat, oats or brown rice.
The government urges consumers to avoid some sweetened foods and trans-fats, which are created in processing vegetable oils.
Any Questions?
How about the Gummint just shuts the hell up and lets people eat what they want? They are admitting that they got it wrong the last two times. Will anybody be at all surprised if in 2015 we are reading a story about how the "Food Balloons" were all wrong, and resulted in increased juvenile obesity?
If you wanted to improve nutritional health by 1000%, just tell people to cook like Grandma cooked in her day.
Nice going, idiot. You're a real mental giant, you are.
Sure, the one they have used for the past 15 years has contributed to an increase in poor dietary choices leading to increased obesity but let's trust that they have it right this time.
"Sparingly"????
What does that mean?
Define "sparingly" for me, please. How much? How often?
Good old definitive guidelines...these'll really help.
And tell them to get off their behinds and work like Grandma, Grandpa and everybody else worked then. That diet would kill us with our current level of activity.
No questions from me!!!!!!!!!
Or you could tell them to work like Grandpa worked,instead of sitting at desks, and then Grandma can cook anything she likes...
Buttsex has had versions of 3 and now 4 I see. It's a pathetic troll who particularly enjoys harassing the black conservatives on this forum. Buttsex is a liberal racist.
That's putting it mildly.
I hope there's not an ominous looking eye with lights coming out of it on top of the pyramid!
LOL. I can almost hear it talking "We see you eating that Chunky Monkey, Big Brother does not approve"
Billions of zillions of dollars to the government, and what do the People get???
A balloon!!!
(I'd just GAG, but we're probably only allowed so many of those a day, too!)
ping post #11
Chocolate ?
Cherry Garcia - the nearest thing to heaven, even if it means I'm supporting the radical socialists Ben and Jerry
Cherry Garcia - the nearest thing to heaven...
Nope. Blue Bunny Premium Bordeax Cherry with Chocolate Shavings.
There's nothing really wrong with the current pyramid. It's convincing folks that a SERVING is a mere 1/2 cup, and that Cheetos don't count as a grain! Duh!
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