History Of Food Pyramid And Obesity

Unlike Egypt's ancient, mystical pyramids, the food pyramid is a modern invention designed to help Americans make better dietary choices. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published the Food Guide Pyramid. Its lower, larger tiers displayed grains, pasta, vegetables and fruit, while its upper, smaller tiers showed meat, dairy, fish, fat and sweets. With this graphic, the USDA intended to promote a healthy diet. It calls its newest pyramid MyPyramid.

Background and Purpose

Since the late 19th century, the USDA has published dietary guidelines. By the mid-20th century, the guidelines spelled out four food groups: dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, and grains. To discourage unhealthy food consumption, the agency later advised eating fats, alcohol and sweets infrequently. Most people didn't understand these guidelines, so the USDA created the Food Guide Pyramid to better illustrate them. The pyramid wasn't necessarily meant to encourage weight loss or prevent obesity. Rather, it encouraged variety, proportion and moderation.

Original Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid began with four levels. The bottom level recommended eating six to eleven servings of bread, rice, cereal or pasta each day. The next level recommended eating three to five vegetable servings and two to four servings of fruit. The second highest level recommended limiting yourself to two or three servings of dairy and two or three servings of meat, fish, beans or nuts. The top of the pyramid recommended eating fats, oils or sweets less often.

MyPyramid

Prompted by new research, the USDA decided to re-evaluate the pyramid in 2001. After years of research, it released MyPyramid in 2005. The new pyramid emphasizes exercise and incorporates age, gender and activity levels into its recommendations. The USDA says these guidelines can help combat obesity by letting you know the proper amount of food you should consume based on your physical activity level. The agency, however, notes its guidelines are not "therapeutic diets."

Controversy

Some critics said the original food pyramid encouraged too much refined carbohydrate consumption and made all fat seem bad. A 2002 "Wall Street Journal" article reported obesity rates rose after its release. The Harvard School of Public Health calls the current pyramid "well intentioned," but "flawed." The school promotes its Healthy Eating Pyramid instead.