"food pyramid" news and stories

The government has released its new dietary guidelines, and they basically tell us what we already know -- we should be eating less junk. Every five years, these nutritional suggestions are updated to reflect current scientific findings and the current state of our country's health, but this year's big reveal didn't contain any bombshells.

The main advice? Lower meat, sugar, fat and salt consumption; eat more fruits, vegetables and fish (even pregnant women). The message: "Enjoy your food, but eat less."

The USDA did revive an old food villan: salt. According to the new guidelines, no one should consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (that's about one teaspoon), and those at risk of high blood pressure should have even less. On average, Americans consume about twice that, thanks primarily to processed foods. (There's a reason those Cheetos are delicious.)

The most outrageous rebuttal comes from the Salt Institute, who, admittedly, isn't having a good week. According to the Washington Post, reps from the Institute argue that cutting salt levels in foods would actually make the obesity epidemic worse because it would "[drive] people to eat more overall to satisfy their desire for salt." Uh, right.

The full guidelines can be downloaded right here through Health.gov. Will it have any effect on your shopping list?

Vegetarians who thought no one was on their side will be happy to know that a group of doctors are going to bat for a meat-free alternative to the food pyramid.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed suit with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- who drafts the country's official food pyramid, MyPyramid -- after it ignored their petition offering a vegetarian alternative called the Power Plate, reports the Chicago Tribune. They say the USDA is blind to the rising rates in obesity and diabetes, which became common after the first pyramid was presented almost two decades ago. But they don't just want a supplemental vegetarian pyramid; they want to withdraw the old and instate theirs.

The Power Plate, available here on the PCRM site, has no portion recommendations and instead simply advises getting an equal balance of fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables, which are divided equally on a plate-shaped graph that looks more like a company logo than a guide.

Last month, as they've done every five years since 1980, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) released their proposed changes to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, more commonly known as the food pyramid, which will be finalized by the end of the year. The recommendations were open to written public comment until last Thursday -- at a public hearing in D.C. on July 8, nearly 50 industry advocates had their say. The concern remains: How will the public react to the update?

More after the jump...

The FDA's food pyramid has helped people from all walks of life decide what to eat every day. Now, however, there is a new walk of life, or I should say unlife, that will benefit from the pyramid. The Zombie food pyramid sets new guidelines for the undead in their insatiable pursuit of sustenance.

There's only one problem with it: Zombies like brains the most, so why is it the base group? Live humans have to consume fats and sugars sparingly. I think the FDA got it wrong when they put the food that zombies crave as the one they can eat the most. That's like saying you can eat 6-11 servings of ice cream a day!

I'm going to start a letter writing campaign to the FDA telling them they're wrong (like they don't get any of those). One of the pyramids needs to be changed. Either I get to eat 6-11 servings of sugar/fat a day or zombies need to gnaw sparingly on brains. I don't know how many zombies are out there, but I'm hoping for the ice cream so they get to keep the brains. Mmmmmm brains.

[via geekstir]

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We all know that the Food Pyramid under went a makeover a few years ago, both in cosmetics to make it easier to understand, as well as content for updates to health and nutrition needs. However, a specially targeted Food Pyramid for older adults hasn't gotten an update in 10 years -- until now.

The new pyramid takes into account two things. With the assumption that older people are less web-savvy, the new pyramid, made available online, has more graphics and is easier to understand. We will make no comment about the "dumbing down" of web tools for older people.

The slightly more useful change is in the content of the pyramid itself. Older adults need to get enough fiber, calcium and vitamins D and B-12 via nutrient-rich fare, like fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and high-fiber whole grains. The pyramid also emphasizes the importance of regular exercise and adequate fluid intake.

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