Why The Food Pyramid Isn't Working
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture officially released
the food pyramid. The food pyramid was supposed to help us make
dietary choices that would maintain good health and reduce the risk
of disease.
Unfortunately, there's little evidence to suggest that the food
pyramid has convinced most people to change the way they eat.
In
fact, despite one of the main messages of the food pyramid that
all fat is "bad", surveys show that the amount of fat
in the average diet has actually risen!
Food pyramid
The shape of the food pyramid shows the proportions that various
food groups should contribute to the total diet.
Food groups at
the wide base of the pyramid, such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta,
are supposed to be eaten in greater amounts than foods near the
top. Fats, oils and sweets are at the top of the food pyramid, and
are supposed to be consumed sparingly.
Many studies, however, show that not all fats are bad, and not
all carbohydrates are good. Even when the food pyramid was being
developed, nutritionists knew that some types of fat are essential
to health. Putting them all in one category ignores the fact that
different fatty acids have very different effects on your health.
Fish oils, for example, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, have
many proven health benefits. On the other hand, trans-fatty acids
— found in varying amounts in foods such as crackers, cookies
and some margarines — are linked to an increase in the risk
of heart disease.
So, where did the original food pyramid go so wrong?
In part, the people behind it fell victim to a desire to simplify
their dietary recommendations, deciding it would be too difficult
to educate the public about these subtleties. Instead, they put
out a clear, simple message that all fat is "bad" —
which, of course, it isn't.
At first glance, it might appear that the food pyramid has convinced
everyone to eat less fat. In 1988, for every 100 calories in the
average male diet, 37 of those calories came from fat.
By 1995,
this figure had dropped to 33 calories. The trend was similar for
women, where the percentage of fat calories dropped by roughly the
same amount.
However, while the percentage of fat in the diet has dropped,
the absolute amount has actually gone up.
• Back in 1988, men were eating an average of 95 grams of
fat each day. By 1995, this figure had risen to 101 grams.
• The average daily fat intake for women has also risen,
from 63 grams in 1988 to 66 grams in 1995.
The reason for these apparently conflicting results is that most
people are simply eating more food!
Between 1988 and 1995, daily
calorie intake for men rose from 2,272 to 2,667 calories. That's
an increase of 395 calories — roughly the same number of calories
you'll find in a Snickers® bar. Women are also eating more,
with energy intake rising from 1,543 to 1,758 calories daily.
The bottom line is that the food pyramid appears to have had little
or no impact on the eating habits of the average American. Given
the fact that the food pyramid says all fats are "bad"
and all complex carbohydrates are "good", it's no wonder
people aren't paying a lot of attention.
About The Author
 Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.
If you're stuck
in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with
only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months
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Reference
Kennedy, E.T., Bowman, S.A., & Powell, R. (1999). Dietary-fat
intake in the US population. Journal
of the American College of Nutrition, 18, 207-212
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