New Food Pyramid Gets Personal
New Food Pyramid Gets Personal
April 19, 2005 -- Federal officials unveiled new dietary recommendations Tuesday, updating the widely known -- but rarely followed -- food pyramid for the first time in 13 years.
Officials say they once again hope to make the revamped pyramid, now decorated with a series of colored bands representing food groups, a fixture in schools, doctors' offices, and health clinics throughout the nation. They also hope that a new emphasis on exercise and moderate eating will finally help make a dent in America's obesity epidemic, now affecting more than one-third of adults and nearly one-fifth of teens.
The new pyramid is based on U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary recommendations released in January. It still emphasizes grains, fruits, and vegetables with limited amounts of meats, oils, and fat.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns describes the main thrust of the retooled pyramid as "first and foremost, moderation.
"Pay attention to what you're eating, moderation, and then exercise. Even a small amount of exercise will make a difference," he says. In addition to familiar cartoon representations of recommended foods, the new pyramid includes a stick-figure human climbing steps to its top, a symbol meant to emphasize physical activity, officials say.
The new strategy is shown on a government web site -- www.mypyramid.gov. It's designed to help individuals plan their dietary intake based on their age, sex, and level of daily physical activity. Officials billed the new emphasis on individualized diet advice as an improvement over the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid, which issued one set of recommendations averaged out for all Americans.
"It's become quite familiar, but few Americans follow the recommendations," Johanns says of the 1992 pyramid. "Every single American can find a MyPyramid that is right for them" with the new system.
A 55-year-old female who exercises less than 30 minutes a day is told to consume 1,600 calories per day in a diet consisting of 5 ounces of grains, 3.5 ounces of fruits and vegetables, 3 cups of milk and dairy products, and 5 ounces of meat and beans. For a man of the same age and exercise level, the site calls for a diet limited to 2,000 calories per day.
New Food Pyramid Gets Personal
Moderation, exercise, individuality now stressed
April 19, 2005 -- Federal officials unveiled new dietary recommendations Tuesday, updating the widely known -- but rarely followed -- food pyramid for the first time in 13 years.
Officials say they once again hope to make the revamped pyramid, now decorated with a series of colored bands representing food groups, a fixture in schools, doctors' offices, and health clinics throughout the nation. They also hope that a new emphasis on exercise and moderate eating will finally help make a dent in America's obesity epidemic, now affecting more than one-third of adults and nearly one-fifth of teens.
Moderation, Moderation, Moderation
The new pyramid is based on U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary recommendations released in January. It still emphasizes grains, fruits, and vegetables with limited amounts of meats, oils, and fat.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns describes the main thrust of the retooled pyramid as "first and foremost, moderation.
"Pay attention to what you're eating, moderation, and then exercise. Even a small amount of exercise will make a difference," he says. In addition to familiar cartoon representations of recommended foods, the new pyramid includes a stick-figure human climbing steps to its top, a symbol meant to emphasize physical activity, officials say.
The new strategy is shown on a government web site -- www.mypyramid.gov. It's designed to help individuals plan their dietary intake based on their age, sex, and level of daily physical activity. Officials billed the new emphasis on individualized diet advice as an improvement over the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid, which issued one set of recommendations averaged out for all Americans.
"It's become quite familiar, but few Americans follow the recommendations," Johanns says of the 1992 pyramid. "Every single American can find a MyPyramid that is right for them" with the new system.
A 55-year-old female who exercises less than 30 minutes a day is told to consume 1,600 calories per day in a diet consisting of 5 ounces of grains, 3.5 ounces of fruits and vegetables, 3 cups of milk and dairy products, and 5 ounces of meat and beans. For a man of the same age and exercise level, the site calls for a diet limited to 2,000 calories per day.
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