April 25, 2005

The Agriculture Departments new food pyramid is drawing praise for its general direction, but criticism about specific guidelines and its graphic form.

Last week, the USDA rolled out its long-awaited update to the pyramid, based on nutritional guidelines issued by the department earlier this year. The new color-coded food pyramid shies away from specific dietary recommendations, instead inviting consumers to log on to a government Web site (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) to draw up a personalized eating plan.

A new twist in the pyramid design is an image of a hiker climbing the triangle's peak via stairs, underscoring the importance of daily exercise.

Color-coded wedges in the pyramid represent different food groups, with broad bands of red and green symbolizing generous amounts of fruits and vegetables to be consumed, while a narrow purple band implies proportionately less of meat, beans and nuts.

Saying that nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, agriculture officials urged consumers to obtain a personalized pyramid by logging on to mypyramid.gov, where they can draw up one of 12 pyramids, customized depending on age, gender and level of physical activity. Twelve energy intake patterns range from 1,000 calories to 3,200 calories.

But critics said the new pyramid's focus on the Web site may exclude some of the people who need nutrition advice the most.

"Obesity is concentrated among the poor — and they're people who don't have computers," said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. "Now not only do you have to have a computer, but you have to be computer savvy enough to use an extremely complicated Web site."

Like the guidelines, the pyramid encourages Americans to consume whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products and lean meats that are baked, grilled or broiled. Eating fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds is also encouraged.

Registered dietitian Lynn Smith, who runs Source Nutrition in Boulder, says the eating guidelines are an improvement over the old pyramid. However, she questions the way the material is presented.

"It's good that they're trying to make it more specific and user-friendly. It's more interactive, and will pull people in more," she says. "On the other hand, it's pretty complicated for a lot of people. Like 'discretionary calories.' I looked at it and went back and read it. Who in the world is ever going to use that term? It's like intellectual gobbledygook."

She also questions the proportion of dairy products the pyramid endorses.

"I'm not a person who's against dairy. I recommend yogurt and cheese in moderation," she says. "But to see that be a cornerstone of the pyramid is just disappointing. When you look about finding other calcium sources, it's absolutely buried."

While the new pyramid is better than the old in that it differentiates between refined and whole grains, it still recommends getting only half of starches in whole grains, a proportion that Smith finds inadequate.

"Maybe it's a payoff to industry," she says. "To me it's a sellout. Maybe they're trying meet people where they are. But it should be the right message whether people are going to do it or not."

Debbie Sarfati, who runs Whole Nourishment in Boulder, agrees that pyramid is better than the old, but also has reservations.

"Overall I think the guidelines are a step in the right direction. My hesitation is I'm wondering if it's going to be confusing for people," she says. "The one I've seen the colors are not labeled. It will be hard for people to gauge what it is and translate it into practice on a quick look."

She's also concerned about the heavy emphasis on meat, dairy and grains.

"We know that those foods are not always the healthiest," she says. "How many people are lactose intolerant, yet they continue to recommend dairy products."

Wild Oats Markets commissioned a survey in late March on the USDA guidelines, discovering that more than half of the 1,004 people polled said they would not follow the recommendations.

The company is rolling out brochures, signs and other informational material in its stores to explain the guidelines and encourage following such recommendations as eating more fruits and vegetables.

Corporate spokesman Sonja Tuitele says the company has generally been pleased with the direction of the guidelines, but that the pyramid itself has drawbacks.

"I think for people with access to the Internet, it's great, very interactive," she says. "(But) if you look at it on the surface it would mean nothing to people. Whereas the previous pyramid had actual images."

Smith also worries that the pyramid and guidelines say nothing about how food is produced.

"The food-quality issue is not here," she says. "I guess it would be asking too much to ask them to address organic (means of producing food.)"

URL: http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/health_and_fitness/article/0,1713,BDC_2431_3722045,00.html

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