The Food Pyramid

We talked a little bit about the food pyramid in class, and I was glad to know that I'm not the only person who finds it a little ridiculous. While I applaud the government's efforts to educate the country about nutrition, I think the new food pyramid makes nutrition and food choices more confusing than ever.

The purpose of the shape of the old pyramid was to emphasize which foods should be eaten as the basis for the diet and which should be eaten less frequently. The new "pyramid" contains vertical bars that taper toward the top, making it difficult to distinguish which food group people should eat more of. I'm really not sure why they chose to keep the pyramid shape if they weren't going to utilize it as an educational visual, but I find that the visual representation of the food groups isn't very informative.

While there is plenty of debate about which food groups should be emphasized, the bar on the new pyramid that disturbs me the most is the light blue one representing the dairy group. There is no doubt that milk is full of nutritious goodness, especially for its high calcium content. Unfortunately, milk cannot be enjoyed by everyone. Only people who produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, can digest dairy products. Lactose intolerance (the inability to produce lactase) is especially prevalent in people of African, Asian, Native American, and Jewish descent. Even though many Americans (especially non-white Americans) cannot get their calcium through milk, the dairy group does not include any calcium alternatives, such as broccoli.

There is one aspect of the new pyramid that I do like. The stairs with the person going up them symbolizes the importance of being active. I like that the pyramid is adding a new focus of having a balanced lifestyle. It is important to teach the concept that food contains energy that our bodies can use to be active.

If you'd like to learn more about the food pyramid, check out http://www.mypyramid.gov/. It has information about the nutrition and food groups. There is also a meal planner, a daily nutrient tracker, and other interactive tools.