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Kevin Jones Professor Lisa Packer English 1010 October 28, 2013 The New Round Food Pyramid On June 2, 2011 the USDA, the Secretary of Agriculture, and Surgeon General announced a change from the iconic food pyramid to the new MyPlate chart, with Mrs. Obama being the main spokesperson for change (Neuman). The MyPlate illustration consists of a circle roughly divided into quarters, with a small circle on the side. The portions on the plate are named fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and a side of dairythat and nothing more. Why is this important you may ask? This is important because It was not widely announced that the American food ideal has changed, and that there are certain pros and cons of the new plan that I would like to discuss. The original pyramid started with fats, oils, and sweets in the smallest portions (tip of pyramid) and included sections below that, in increasing proportions for dairy, the meat group (meats, eggs, nuts, and beans), fruits, and vegetables, with the largest group by far being grain at the base. In 2005 the USDA revised the pyramid to indicate that no food is on top of the other in importance, reduced the amount of grains, and symbolized exercise with a figure climbing up the side of the pyramid. Mrs. Obama spoke of the new round pyramid, stating, This is a quick, simple reminder to be more mindful of the foods that were eating. She also said, We need something simple to be understood at dinner tables and cafeterias (Obama). That does seem to make sense to the rational person. One goal of the MyPlate illustration was to simplify nutritional planning in
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portions per meal. The old pyramid also recommended excessive grain, supplying too many carbohydrates per day, leading to heart disease and obesity. The new MyPlate recommendation is for less grain intake, while at the same time increasing daily intake of fruits and vegetables. However, not everyone agrees with the change. Shortly after the announcement of the new version, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) criticized some points of the new MyPlate illustration. Harvard believed that the newly unveiled plan was not completely accurate and had a lack of information available on the chart. The MyPlate does not specify that whole grains are better for health, while refined grains can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Another issue that they took seriously was the lack of definition in what healthy protein actual is. It is not visually specified as to what types of food contain healthy proteins. The old food pyramid suggested eating lots of meats and cheese. Are we supposed to assume the same thing now, even though beans are loaded with protein and are void of the unhealthy side effects of eating too much meat and dairy may bring? Speaking of high protein intake, which some believe can be unhealthy. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. wrote, The inclusion of dairy in MyPlate perpetuates the misinformation that cows milk is essential to human health, and is the best and healthiest source of calcium. Plus dairy is high in protein, so realistically it should be included in the protein group. MyPlate suggests 3 servings of dairy daily, which may lead to excessive protein intake, which may increase the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer (Fuhrman). Some of the muscle and fitness group also chime in. Sean Hyson writing for Joe Weiders Muscle and Fitness stated, The food pyramid was so misleading and inaccurate that two years ago it was replaced with MyPlate, an improved, but still flawed approach to fighting obesity. He went on to say the governments nutrition advice was aimed at the average American who only
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desires to be in average shape (Hyson). These body-conscious individuals recommend a different intake. They watch macronutrients and overall calories rather than counting serving sizes. Another omission from the new MyPlate illustration is the lack of representation of oils. There is no information about healthy oils versus unhealthy fats. It was also pointed out in the article from HSPH that MyPlate does not distinguish between nutritional values of potatoes and colorful vegetables. Potatoes contain high amounts of starch which has the same effect on blood sugar as cane sugar and white flour (Harvard). Another issue is that the quantity of vegetables recommended has increased. With todays growing society, farmers are using more pesticides to ensure that we get our fruits and vegetables every season. It is frightening to think that by following the recommendations we are consuming more toxins. To solve the problem of toxins, organic vegetables are an expensive, safe alternative. Unfortunately, the shelf-life of organic fruits and vegetables is not as long. The representation of exercise has been either forgotten or left out for aesthetic appearance (you dont want some little guy running around your plate). At least the old pyramid had exercise represented. The Harvard professionals have created their own Healthy Eating Plate which resembles MyPlate but is more specific of what each portion may consist (HSPH). The Healthy Eating Plate is based exclusively on the best available science and was not subjected to political and commercial pressures from food industry lobbyists (HSPH). Sean Hyson, Joel Fuhrman, M.D. and others have their own more detailed graphic of what they believe the food pyramids and plates should look like (Hyson)(Fuhrman). They have addressed the missing details that MyPlate did not illustrate.
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Going back to what Mrs. Obama was trying to achieve with this simple new graphic, was to make parents lives easier while keeping their families diets healthy and proportionate. She basically stated that moms are tired after a long day of work and dont have time to be a cleaning crew and chef and also family referee. The last thing they need to do is be a nutritionist in the family (Obama). She implies that parents dont have enough time to weigh 3 ounces of chicken or check on what how much broccoli or rice is in a serving. Lets pause for a moment and think about why a change was needed in the first place. Many of us grew up with the food pyramid and can relate with the pictures of types of foods that are displayed. Granted they were not perfect in health values, but it was easier to know what was in each food group. MyPlate just has simple categories with no definitions on the graphic. Mrs. Obama said ultimately that this would be easier on parents who dont have much time during the day to play nutritionist. However, it is more complicated because parents have to go on the internet and calculate from charts, just as in the old system, since not every kid can go on the internet. The whole ideal of the food pyramid was to have a visual reference, not to have to use a calculator. When I began researching this topic, I was skeptical of the MyPlate plan until I looked around in choosemyplate.gov, the USDA website that has grown due to the criticism from various health groups. MyPlate.gov has turned into an impressive nutritionist database if one takes the time to do the research. They have detailed information on what each group of the MyPlate contains, with daily allowance charts for women, men, and children. They have even addressed the lack of oil on the plate. The website is full of useful recipes for meat eaters and vegetarians. There are links for healthy eating on a budget and for weight management. A link
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called Super-Tracker allows you to track food and physical activities. This website is constantly improving and adding new suggestions for recipes and exercise. No matter what shape your pyramid is in, it requires research and dedication to have a healthy diet. You might as well stick with the food pyramid and define it with a database such the one provided by choosmyplate.gov. I highly recommend the use of this resource.
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Works Cited
Fuhrman, Joel, M.D. USDA Replaces MyPyramid with MyPlate. Www.diseaseproofcom. N.p.,15 June 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. Hyson, Sean. The M&F Food Pyramid. Joe Weiders Muscle and Fitness Aug. 2013; 100-01. EBSCO. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. Neuman, William. Nutrition Plate Unveiled, Replacing Food Pyramid. Nytimes.comN.p.,2June2011. Web.26 Oct. 2013. Obama, Michelle. Michelle Obama on ChooseMyPlate.gov video. www.youtube.com . Youtube, LLC. Jun 2, 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
Works Consulted "Good-bye pyramid, hello food plate. USDA scraps food pyramid in favor of easier model. Johns Hopkins Med Lett Health After 50. 2011 Dec;23(10):3
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