The United States Food and Drug Administration released the Food Guide Pyramid in 1992 and it was used until April, 2005, when it was replaced by MyPyramid. MyPyramid has a new look and also incorporates exercise. MyPyramid is not intended to be a step-by-step formula, but instead bills itself as a guidance system. There are separate recommendations for adults and children.
Function
MyPyramid is published with guidelines for different age groups to help parents make sure their children are getting the proper amount of nutrition. There are recommendations for 2- to 3-year-old children; 4- to 8-year-old children; 9-to 13-year-old kids and children age 14 and over. The recommendations for the 9 to 13 age group and the 14 and over age group are broken down by gender, as boys usually require greater amounts of food.
Features
One of the changes in the pyramid with the 2005 design is the incorporation of exercise into the plan. The pyramid recommends that children participate in physical activities for an hour a day, or at least most days of the week.
Significance
The name change from Food Guide Pyramid to MyPyramid was noteworthy, as it was intended to make people aware they have control over their exercise and diet plans. The MyPyramid is an Internet-based application that allows you to enter data about your weight, height, age and gender, which can be saved if you create an account, along with food eaten and recent exercise. The program gives feedback for both diet and physical activity based on the information entered, complete with charts and emoticons.
History
The United States Department of Agriculture published its first set of dietary recommendations in 1894 and followed that up with the 1916 publication of Food For Young Children," its first food guide. In the mid-1980s the USDA was publishing its "Pattern for Daily Food Choices," but the food guide wasn't well-known to the general public. In 1988 work began on a visual graphic and the Food Guide Pyramid was unveiled in 1992.
Expert Insight
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture receives the credit for MyPyramid, the program is actually a joint effort between the USDA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The two also publish "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" as a joint effort every five years and the recommendations from the 2005 study were used for MyPyramid.
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