New food pyramid comes in 12 flavors
US diet guide goes online, serves up personalized plans
Deciding that one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations have failed, the federal government yesterday jettisoned its well-known food pyramid in favor of an Internet-based personalized health guide that emphasizes exercise and eating in moderation.
The pyramid theme remains, but with obesity rates climbing upward, the new guide dispenses with the broad-brush daily serving recommendations of the old icon.
Instead, federal officials yesterday urged Americans to visit a new website, www.mypyramid.gov to get nutritional pyramids tailored to their age and daily physical activity. (Yesterday, heavy online traffic bogged the site down).
''Every single American can find a mypyramid that is right for them," said the US Agriculture Department secretary, Mike Johanns, yesterday at a press conference in Washington. ''The idea of a one-size-fits-all pyramid . . . I believe is a very difficult concept to make work, really impossible."
The new guide features a rainbow-hued pyramid that comes in 12 variations, for different age groups and activity levels. Unlike the old pyramid, a glance at the new one reveals little about what one should eat, drawing some criticism yesterday.
''You just don't get it instantly," said a Tufts nutrition professor, Dr. Jeanne Goldberg. ''In a way, it seems to give less information."
Goldberg and others also complained that an Internet-based guide leaves out low-income and elderly people lacking access to computers. Federal officials said they will ensure printed versions are widely available through doctor's offices and federal programs serving the poor.
But others lauded the new guide, saying it reflected a deeper understanding of eating and exercise developed by scientists in the 13 years since the old pyramid came out.
''It appears the Department of Agriculture has refined many aspects of the old pyramid to make it more reflective of real eating habits," said state Representative Peter Koutoujian, a Waltham Democrat who has proposed several anti-obesity bills. ''I'm also glad physical activity has been included in the symbol because living healthy is about more than just eating healthy."
Physical activity was not mentioned in the old pyramid. The new guide recommends at least 30 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous physical activity for adults and an hour for children and teens.
To emphasize this point, federal officials yesterday enlisted fitness guru Denise Austin, a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to help unveil the new guide.
''The more you move, the more you lose," she said at yesterday's press conference, before leading gathered federal officials in a quick stretching session.
The replacement for the old pyramid had been under consideration for years, with some nutrition specialists and health advocates lobbying for new symbols like rainbows or wheels, while other suggested abandoning symbols altogether.
The new guide is based on some broad nutritional principles, suggested by the widths of the colored bands on the pyramid: Whole grains (rather than white bread and rice) should form the bulk of carbohydrate consumption; daily intake of low-fat or fat-free dairy products is important; lean meats and fish should be favored over fatty meats and oils; a variety of fruits and dark colored vegetables (not just potatoes) is key to good health.
The old pyramid recommended specific daily serving amounts, with 6 to 11 daily carbohydrate servings at its base. On to the website, the federal government's new guide will give personally tailored eating recommendations using cups, ounces, and other measures simpler than serving size, which federal officials said confused many people.
Agriculture Department officials said yesterday they have already begun an intensive process to disseminate the new guide to schools, government offices, and doctors' offices. Numerous food companies and agricultural interests said yesterday they would consider using the new symbol and guidelines on food packages and marketing efforts. But replacing the old pyramid will be tough: Government surveys showed more than 80 percent of Americans recognized it, making it among the federal government's most successful public health efforts.
The new guide comes at a time of unprecedented concern about obesity. About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese by federal government standards. And more than 15 percent of children age 6 to 19 are obese, according to federal statistics. Obesity increases risks for death from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other afflictions.
''If we don't change these trends, our children may be the first generation that cannot look forward to a longer life span than their parents," Eric Bost, the Agriculture Department's undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, said in a statement. 