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April 22, 2005 Nutritionists Think New Food Guidance System Has Promise Nutritionists like what they see in Americans’ new food guidance system. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled the system, called MyPyramid, and its three-dimensional symbol this week. MyPyramid replaces the food guide pyramid, introduced in 1992. “Nutrition educators across the country are excited and hopeful that this new food guidance system will have an impact on people’s nutrition and physical activity habits,” said Julie Garden-Robinson, a North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of this colorful symbol on educational materials and food packages in coming years.” MyPyramid is based on recommendations from new dietary guidelines that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released in January. The dietary guidelines stress that good eating habits can promote better health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Like the food guide pyramid, the MyPyramid symbol represents the recommended proportion of foods from each food group and emphasizes the importance of making smart choices in every food group every day. However, MyPyramid uses colored vertical bands to represent the food groups, and the width of the bands offer a general guide to portion sizes and which foods in each group are more nutritious. The food guide pyramid was one-dimensional with a horizontal display of food categories. MyPyramid also includes a new element, physical activity. The MyPyramid symbol shows a stylized figure of a person walking up steps. Health experts recommend people do at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week to lower the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. They suggest doing up to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days to lose weight or keep off excess weight. “Spring is a great time to start fresh with updated nutrition and physical activity practices recommended in the new educational materials,” Garden-Robinson said. “For example, enjoy the warmer weather and go for a half-hour walk with your friends and family. Enjoy the variety of fresh produce that comes into season in the springtime.” She also has this advice: “Aim for small changes; they can add up to big differences in your health over time.” MyPyramid symbolizes a personalized approach to healthy eating and physical activity. The system’s Web site, www.mypyramid.gov, can help people determine how much they should eat of each food group based on their age, gender and activity level. The Web site also provides menu suggestions and work sheets that people can print out to help them keep track of what they eat, develop a healthier diet and determine the amount of physical activity they need to fit their eating habits and lifestyle. For more information about food and nutrition, visit the NDSU Extension Service Web site www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm. ### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
