A food-guide pyramid is a visual representation of the percentages of different food types you should have in your diet. The goal of the pyramid is to provide clear, easy-to-grasp dietary recommendations. Typically, the size and location of each subsection of the pyramid roughly indicates the percentage of your diet that the particular category of food should make up.
Types
Many types of food pyramids exist, each of which reflects the dietary recommendations of a particular organization. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture provides what is perhaps the best known food-guide pyramid. The design of the pyramid has changed throughout the years to reflect new developments and research in nutritional science. The latest USDA offering is called MyPyramid, and it is a key part of the government's comprehensive set of health recommendations to the general public.
Critics
Critics of MyPyramid question its effectiveness. For example, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that the USDA's recommendations are biased by agricultural business interests, resulting in flawed dietary recommendations. To remedy the situation, the HSPH offers its own version of a food guide pyramid, called the Healthy Eating Pyramid.
Function
The top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid is the smallest area, so the foods that appear here should make up the smallest portion of your diet. For example, red meat, refined grains, sugary drinks and salt are typically the least healthy foods, so you should only eat them sparingly. The next level contains dairy products. Below that are nuts, seeds, beans, tofu, fish, poultry and eggs. Next comes the foundation of your diet, or the types of foods that should contribute most to your daily eating habits. These are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats and oils. Finally, the bottom section of the pyramid advocates daily exercise and weight control. The school believes that daily exercise is just as important as adhering to a healthy diet.
Effectiveness
The Healthy Eating Pyramid claims to base its recommendations on the latest scientific findings, not the needs of agricultural businesses. Its goal is to offer a simple, trustworthy guide for developing a healthy diet that emphasizes weight control through a combination of daily exercise, portion control and smart food choices. Basing your diet on the Healthy Eating Pyramid's recommendations is an effective way to increase your health and maintain a safe weight.
Expert Insight
Many medical experts believe the Healthy Eating Pyramid is more effective than MyPyramid. For example, a study that appeared in a 2006 issue of the journal "American Family Physician" recommended dietary change as an effective means for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. The researchers pointed out that the USDA recommendations, as of 2005, "may confuse many persons, creating a need for interpretation and guided application by their physicians." The Healthy Eating Pyramid, on the other hand, "in an easily understood form . . . describes a diet that is palatable and useful for dietary treatment of general populations."
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