Mypyramid

Information about Mypyramid

The current food guide pyramid, called "My Pyramid"

MyPyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 19, 2005, is an update on the ubiquitous U.S. food guide pyramid. The new icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups in one's diet. As part of the MyPyramid food guidance system, consumers are asked to visit the MyPyramid website for personalized nutrition information. Significant changes from the previous food pyramid include:

It measures quantities in cups and ounces instead of "servings".
It includes a new symbol - a person on the stairs, representing physical activity.

MyPyramid was designed to educate consumers about a lifestyle consistent with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an 80-page document released in January 2005. The guidelines, produced jointly by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), represent the Federal nutrition policy.

Overview

The eight divisions of the pyramid

MyPyramid contains eight divisions. From left to right on the pyramid are six food groups:

Grains, recommending that at least half of grains consumed be as whole grains
Vegetables, emphasizing dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and dry beans and peas
Fruits, emphasizing variety and deemphasizing fruit juices
Oils, recommending fish, nut, and vegetables sources
Milk, a category that includes other dairy products
Meat and beans, emphasizing low-fat and lean meats such as fish as well as more beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

There are two other categories:

Physical activity, represented by a person climbing steps on the pyramid, with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day recommended (and in some cases 60 or 90 minutes)
Discretionary calories, represented by the uncolored tip of the pyramid, including items such as candy, alcohol, or additional food from any other group.

Themes

The USDA chose to encode several themes into the design of the MyPyramid icon. According to the USDA, MyPyramid incorporates:

Personalization, demonstrated by the MyPyramid Web site. To find a personalized recommendation of the kinds and amounts of food to eat each day, users must visit MyPyramid.gov. (See the twelve pyramids.)
Gradual improvement, represented by the slogan Steps to a Healthier You. It suggests that individuals can benefit from taking small steps to improve their diet and lifestyle each day.
Physical activity, represented by the steps and the person climbing them, as a reminder of the importance of daily physical activity.
Variety, symbolized by the six color bands representing the five food groups of MyPyramid and oils. Suggests that foods from all groups are needed each day for good health.
Moderation, represented by the narrowing of each food group from bottom to top. The wider base stands for foods with little or no solid fats, added sugars, or caloric sweeteners. Suggests these should be selected more often to get the most nutrition from calories consumed.
Proportionality, shown by the different widths of the food group bands. The widths suggest how much food a person should choose from each group. The widths are just a general guide.

Differences from the food guide pyramid

In a departure from the food guide pyramid, no foods are pictured on the MyPyamid logo itself. Instead, the logo emphasizes physical activity by showing a person climbing steps on the side of the pyramid. Colored vertical bands represent different food groups. MyPyramid is also intentionally simpler than the food guide pyramid after several USDA studies indicated that consumers widely misunderstood the original design. Consumers are asked to visit the MyPyramid.gov[1] website for personalized nutrition information.

The food guide pyramid gave recommendations measured in "serving sizes", which some people found confusing. MyPyramid gives its recommendations in cups, ounces, and other measures that may be easier to understand.

The food guide pyramid gave a single set of specific recommendations for all people. In contrast, MyPyramid has 12 sets of possible recommendations, with the appropriate guide for an individual selected based on sex, age group, and activity level. MyPyramid does provide sample recommendations on their miniposter:

Development

The research process and results used to create the MyPyramid Food Guidance System have been documented in a supplemental issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published in Nov/Dec 2006. The articles in this journal supplement are:

1. Britten P, Marcoe K, Yamini S, Davis, C. Development of Food Intake Patterns for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S78-S92.

2. Marcoe K, Juan WY, Yamini S, Carlson A, Britten P. Development of Food Group Composite and Nutrient Profiles for MyPyramid Food Guidance System, J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S93-S107.

3. Britten P, Haven J, Davis C. Consumer Research for Development of Educational Messages for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S108-S123.

4. Haven J, Burns A, Britten P, Davis C. Developing the Consumer Interface for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38: S124-S135.

5. Yamimi S, Juan WY, Marcoe K, Britten P. Impact of Using Updated Food Consumption and Composition data on Selected MyPyramid Food Group Nutrient Profiles. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38: S136-S142.

6. Britten P, Lyon J, Weaver C, Kris-Etherton P, Nicklas T, Weber J, Davis C. MyPyramid Food Intake pattern Modeling for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S143-S152.

7. Haven J, Burns A, Herring D, Britten P. GEM No. 426: MyPyramid.gov Provides Consumers with Practical Nutrition Information at their Fingertips. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S153-S154.

8. Juan WY, Gerrior S, Hiza H. GEM No. 427: MyPyramid Tracker Assesses Food Consumption, Activity, and Energy Balance Status Interactively. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S155-S157.

9. French L, Howell G, Haven J, Britten P. GEM No. 428: Designing MyPyramid for Kids materials to help Children Eat Right, Exercise, Have Fun. . J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38:S158-S159.

According to its website, MyPyramid and its associated guidelines were designed for all Americans over 2 years old. A working title of food guidance system was used before the MyPyramid name was chosen.

The MyPyramid update was long-awaited by several lobbying, consumer-advocacy, and professional groups, including the American Dietetic Association, which played a role in recommending the update.

In September 2005, a "child-friendly version" of the food pyramid graphic and food guidance system launched.^[1]

Footnotes

1. ^ USDA Press Release MyPyramid.gov

External links

Official

MyPyramid.gov literature: The Literature
MyPyramid Tracker: The United States Government provides this online dietary and physical activity assessment tool
Introductory Video
MyPyramid U.S. government website
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

General

ADA Press Release
MyPyramid Educational Materials Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida/IFAS

Critiques

Food Pyramids Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, compares pyramids
New food pyramid shape: a pyramid
MyPyramid.org - redirects to a page in agribusinessaccountability.org, which criticizes corporate influence of USDA.

Alternative pyramids

1775: American Revolution begins]]

1775 - American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Lexington and Concord which began the American Revolutionary War.
1809 - The army of Austria attacks and is defeated by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Battle of Raszyn, part of

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20th century - 21st century - 22nd century
1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s
2002 2003 2004 - 2005 - 2006 2007 2008

2005 by topic:
News by month
Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun
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worldwide view.

The improved American food guide pyramid, informally known as the food pyramid, was a nutrition guide created by the USDA. Released in 1992, the food pyramid suggested how much of each food category one should eat each day.
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Physical exercise is manual activity that develops or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is often practiced to strengthen muscles and the cardiovascular system, and to hone athletic skills.
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worldwide view of the subject.
Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.

The food groups are part of a method of classification for the various foods that humans consume in their everyday lives, based on the nutritional properties
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In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat.
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Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human being for nutrition or pleasure.
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A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN.
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Nutrition is a science that examines the relationship between diet and health. Dietitians are health professionals who specialize in this area of study, and are trained to provide safe, evidence-based dietary advice and interventions.
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The cup is a unit of measurement for volume, used in cooking to measure bulk foods, such as chopped vegetables (dry measurement), and liquids (fluid measurement). It is in common use in many countries, especially those that were part of the British Empire, including the United
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ounce (abbreviation: oz) is the name of a unit of mass in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. Its size can vary from system to system.
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Department of Health and Human Services

HHS Logo

Official seal
Agency overview
Formed April 11, 1953
May 4, 1980
Preceding Agency United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Jurisdiction
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Cereal crops or grains are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible grains or seeds (i.e., botanically a type of fruit called a caryopsis). Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more energy worldwide than any other type of crop; they are therefore
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Whole grains are cereal grains which retain the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains which retain only the endosperm. Whole meal products are made from whole grain flour.
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Vegetable is a term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. The definition is traditional rather than scientific and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective. All parts of herbaceous plants eaten as food by humans, whole or in part, are normally considered vegetables.
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fruit has different meanings depending on context. In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary—together with seeds—of a flowering plant. In many species, the fruit incorporates the ripened ovary and surrounding tissues.
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Cooking oil is purified fat of plant or animal origin, which is liquid at room temperature.

Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil,
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Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). Mammary glands are highly specialized sweat glands. The female ability to produce milk is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
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Meat, in its broadest definition, is animal tissue used as food. Most often it refers to skeletal muscle and associated fat, but it may also refer to non-muscle organs, including lungs, livers, skin, brains, bone marrow and kidneys.
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Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae) used for food or feed. They are also known as legumes.

Name

The term Bean
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A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. Calorie is French and derives from the Latin calor (heat). In most fields, it has been replaced by the joule, the SI unit of energy.
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Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which a variety of flavorings and colorants is added. It is sometimes frozen (as in a Popsicle.
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alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. The general formula for a simple acyclic alcohol is C_nH_2n+1OH.
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United States Department of Agriculture

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Seal of the Department of Agriculture
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Formed February 15, 1889

Jurisdiction Federal government of the United States

Employees
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Symbols are objects, characters, or other concrete representations of ideas, concepts, or other abstractions. For example, in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, a red octagon is a symbol for the traffic sign meaning "STOP".
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The Twelve Pyramids is a set of 12 health and nutrition plans based on age and gender that was created by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and was released in 2005.
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A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose.

Slogans vary from the written and the visual to the chanted and the vulgar.
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The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is the United States' largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, with nearly 65,000 members. Approximately 75 % of ADA's members are registered dietitians and about 4 % are dietetic technicians, registered.
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