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Old Wed, Feb-25-04, 21:30
gotbeer's Avatar
gotbeer gotbeer is offline
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Default "Nutrition news: Pyramid can't be blamed for overweight Americans"

Nutrition news: Pyramid can't be blamed for overweight Americans

Dayle Hayes, NUTRITION NEWS


http://www.billingsgazette.com/inde...foodpyramid.inc

The Food Guide Pyramid is taking a bashing these days. Released in 1992 by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, the pyramid has become the most recognized, and now, the most vilified, nutrition education tool in the world.

Everyone loves to hate this pyramid, and its critics come from across the nutrition spectrum. On one hand, Dr. Atkins and other low-carb gurus claim that the pyramid has made Americans fat by building the base on carbohydrates such as grains, fruits and vegetables.

At the same time, vegetarians claim that USDA kowtowed to agricultural producers and over-emphasized the importance of high-fat meat and milk group foods. A variety of groups have gotten into the pyramid business with their own alternatives, like one with a Mediterranean flavor (more olive oil, more fish, less red meat and wine) or another with a base of fruits and vegetables and a tiny tip of sweets.

Pyramid guidelines

While recognizing that the pyramid is not perfect, I must defend it with some facts. First and foremost, the Food Guide Pyramid cannot be blamed for the number of overweight Americans because almost no Americans follow its guidelines.

While it is true that more U.S. adults and children are overweight now than in 1992, they did not get that way by following the FGP. The current U.S. eating pattern is much more like an hourglass than a pyramid.

Here are the facts about our current eating patterns:

American adults are eating more calories than ever before - about 300 more calories per day. Most of these extra calories come from refined grains, added sugars and added fats (from snack foods, chips, candy, sweet desserts and soft drinks).

Most adults and children do not eat the minimum servings of nutrient-rich foods in the center of pyramid (fruits, veggies, lean proteins and low-fat dairy).

Failing to meet these minimums means that significant numbers of adults and kids are not getting the key nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and B12 that they need.

Today's super-sized portions bear little or no resemblance to the serving sizes recommended by the pyramid.

These facts do point to a disturbing phenomenon - that our population is overweight, overfed and undernourished. However, we can hardly blame the Food Guide Pyramid for these problems, or rely on a simplistic, low-carb solution to cure them.

A recipe for obesity

The pyramid is not responsible for the ever-expanding American waistline; our entire lifestyle is responsible. As many researchers have pointed out, we have inadvertently designed the perfect situation to make humans accumulate fat stores:

We lead increasingly sedentary lives with convenient gadgets of all sorts to keep us from moving our bodies. A push of the remote changes the channel so that we don't even have to get up from the couch.

Our busy, stressed-out days push physical activity to the bottom of our to-do lists. Lack of time is the No. 1 reason why people don't exercise. Even when the exercise machines are in our basements, we are too busy or too tired to get on them.

Tasty, tempting, inexpensive food is everywhere. We are constantly bombarded with cues to eat - seeing and hearing about foods in TV and radio ads, smelling and seeing food in convenience stores, food courts and vending machines.

Our foods and beverages come in larger and larger sizes. Just when you thought that portions could not get any bigger, they started selling a half gallon of pop (64 ounces, 800 calories and about a cup of sugar) in a container meant for one person.

These are the problems that need to be addressed by individuals, communities and government agencies. If we do not address them, the current weight trends will undoubtedly continue their dramatic upward rise. And, our health care costs for chronic diseases such as diabetes, will rise right along with them.

Under construction

The Food Guide Pyramid, like any educational tool, is not perfect. In fact, it was always meant to provide general guidance rather than a one-size-fits-all-diet for every American.

When it comes to general guidance, the pyramid has some good advice. If we were eating more fruits, vegetables and reduced-fat dairy products, we'd probably be in better shape. We would definitely be in better shape if we were eating those nutrient-rich options rather than getting 40 percent of our calories from the added sugars and fats at the tip of the pyramid.

Both the FGP and the dietary guidelines are under review by expert panels. These scientists are reviewing the latest research and looking for ways to provide Americans with the best possible nutrition advice based on sound science. It's a big job, and it will be hard to please everyone.

Some of the proposed changes have already been released for comment. They include formulas for personalizing intake based on activity, age, weight and other factors, as well as recommendations for increasing fiber, vitamin E and omega-3 fats while decreasing trans-fatty acids. Another positive change is wider ranges for the recommended calories from carbohydrate, protein and fat which follow the guidelines released by the Food and Nutrition Board in 2002.

The proposed pyramid changes are still being revised, with a release date sometime in 2005. The process is open to public comment. To read more about the proposals and comments, visit USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at www.usda.gov/cnpp/.

My personal view

Creating an effective nutrition guide for the entire U.S. population is a tough job, and I am glad that it is not my responsibility. However, if I were on the panel revising the Food Guide Pyramid and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, here's what I would like to see:

A closer connection between nutrition and physical activity: For a healthy body and a healthy weight, these two factors must always go hand in hand.

A healthy respect for the diversity of eating patterns. There is no one-size-fits-all diet for Americans. Some people do better with more protein, others want to be vegetarians. We must recognize that there are lots of different ways to eat healthfully.

A stronger emphasis on nutrient-rich whole foods. The best foods on the planet are still whole grains; fruits and veggies; lean meat, fish and poultry; nuts, seeds and legumes; and lower-fat dairy foods. Americans need to eat more of these.

A decreased role for processed foods. Whether they are low-carb or high-sugar, low-fat or high-fat, these low-nutrient foods and beverages are not health-enhancing. The simple truth is that we need to consume less of them.

A central place for the enjoyment and celebration of food: Eating well is one of life's greatest pleasures, and some countries have been wise enough to include these concepts in their dietary guidance. It's time for the U.S. to follow this trend and to include some variations of these Japanese Dietary Guidelines: "Enjoy your meals" and "Enjoy communications at the table with your family and/or other people and participate in the preparation of meals."

Registered dietitian Dayle Hayes is a nutritionist and consultant to Deaconess Billings Clinic and Eat Right Montana. You can contact her at 655-9082 or EatRightMT2000~aol.com. Hayes' past Gazette columns are available at: www.billingsclinic.com/nutrition.
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Feb-25-04, 21:41
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wsgts wsgts is offline
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Default Reduced fat this!!

Blah blah blah, diversity in eating patterns I guess is ok as long as it's not the F-word. Gotta reduce that at all costs.

Per usual,
wsgts
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Old Thu, Feb-26-04, 12:25
pd Rydia's Avatar
pd Rydia pd Rydia is offline
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"First and foremost, the Food Guide Pyramid cannot be blamed for the number of overweight Americans because almost no Americans follow its guidelines."

Does that not indicate a problem in and of itself?
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  #4   ^
Old Thu, Feb-26-04, 13:59
K Walt K Walt is offline
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gotbeer
[B]Nutrition news: Pyramid can't be blamed for overweight Americans


A central place for the enjoyment and celebration of food: Eating well is one of life's greatest pleasures, and some countries have been wise enough to include these concepts in their dietary guidance. It's time for the U.S. to follow this trend



Amen to that. Except that its been those clucking, nitpicking, tsk-tsking DIETICIANS who have made everyone so damn confused and GUILTY about what they eat. In my opinion, it was THEIR holier-than-thou scolding about fat. . . fat. . . fat. . . portion sizes. . . vegetables. . . that ruined eating for a lot of people. This will kill you, that will kill you, this tastes like dirt but eat it anyway because it's good for you.

And here she is. . . still clucking about lean meants, low-fat dairy. We've been eating cheese and dairy products for 10,000 years. Why now have suddently declared the FAT part of it toxic?

We had a dietician show up at a party over the holidays. Everyone was so afraid of being scolded no one wanted to eat ANYTHING in front of her. She ate ONE rye-crisp. Dieticians, feh.
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