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News that is Unfit to Print

I have been contemplating the new USDA "MyPyramid" that has replaced the previous USDA Food Pyramid, which in tern replaced the USDA Four Food Groups scheme of the 1970s. These concepts are an integral part of one section of my course in anatomy and physiology, so I was very interested in seeing the latest development.

Unfortunately, in my opinion this new scheme on human nutrition is heaped with far too many generalities and is geared simply towards being flashy and eye-catching. I feel this is quite problematic, as these recommendations by the USDA are important for medicine, nutrition, and all sorts of health sciences.

The original USDA Four Food Groups attempted to define the four categories of food we should try to consume in a healthy diet.... meats, fruits & vegetables, breads, and fats. This original concept was good as a starting point, but needed further elaboration to become useful.

In the 1980s the scheme of the four food groups *was* refined to become the USDA Food Pyramid. This pyramid approach attempted to provide recommendations as to quantity of each food type consumed on a daily basis. In my opinion, this food pyramid was extremely well designed and easy to follow. Unfortunately, the new "MyPyramid" is a mostly smoke-and-mirrors attempt to make nutrition "fun & friendly" for the unwashed masses who do not give a care about nutrition, do not want to put any thought or study into eating healthy, and likely will not change to a healthier eating style even with the "MyPyramid".

Basically, MyPyramid seems to "descience" the field of nutrtion into a few key catch-phrases or slogans:

1. Ya gotta get active! (the silly stairs on the side of the MyPyramid graphic)
2. Ya gotta eat healthy food! (no real data, just vague notions of eating fruits, vegetables, etc)
3. Ya gotta not eat as much fatty stuff! (it shows the previous fat/oil section as skinny, spahgetti-string strip of the mighty MyPyramid)

The above paraphrased statements represent my interpretation of what has occured through adoption of MyPyramid.... it has been DUMBED DOWN considerably. Whereas the original four food groups was a concept for a junior high/ high school audience, and the food pyramid was a concept for a high school/early college audience, the new MyPyramid is a concept designed to primairly appeal to a) preschoolers/students in elementary schools, b) the stereotypical "rah-rah" cheerleader type, and c) anyone who really doesn't give a damn about nutrition or the science of and study of diet.

The new "MyPyramid" is pretty silly, and not very useful to help with an understanding of nutrition.

PipeTobacco