MyPyramid
Encyclopedia
MyPyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) on April 19, 2005, is an update on the American food guide pyramid
that was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate
replaced it. The 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 were asked to visit the MyPyramid website for personalized nutrition
information. Significant changes from the previous food pyramid include:
MyPyramid was designed to educate consumers about a lifestyle consistent with the January 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an 80-page document. The guidelines, produced jointly by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), represented the official position of the U.S. government and served as the foundation of Federal nutrition policy.
There is one other category:
encoded several themes into the design of the MyPyramid icon
. According to the USDA, MyPyramid incorporated:
The food guide pyramid gave recommendations measured in serving sizes, which some people found confusing. MyPyramid gives its recommendations in common household measures, such as 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.
was and is unduly influenced by political pressure exerted by lobbyists for food production associations, in particular dairy and meat.
The research process and results used to create the MyPyramid Food Guidance System was documented in a supplemental issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published in November/December 2006 that included the following articles:
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
(USDA) on April 19, 2005, is an update on the American food guide pyramid
Food guide pyramid
A food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
that was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate
MyPlate
MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture, depicting a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, ending 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams...
replaced it. The icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups
Food groups
A food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups and recommend daily servings of each group for a healthy diet.-Common food groups:...
in one's diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, 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. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
. As part of the MyPyramid food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
guidance system, consumers were asked to visit the MyPyramid website for personalized nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
information. Significant changes from the previous food pyramid include:
- Inclusion of a new symbol—a person on the stairs—representing physical activityPhysical exercisePhysical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
. - Measuring quantities in cupsCup (unit)The cup is a customary unit of measurement for volume, used in cooking to measure liquids and bulk foods such as granulated sugar...
and ounceOunceThe ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s instead of servings.
MyPyramid was designed to educate consumers about a lifestyle consistent with the January 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an 80-page document. The guidelines, produced jointly by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
(HHS), represented the official position of the U.S. government and served as the foundation of Federal nutrition policy.
Overview
MyPyramid contains eight divisions. From left to right on the pyramid are a person and six food groups:- Physical activity, represented by a person climbing steps on the pyramid, to illustrate moderate physical activityPhysical activity levelThe physical activity level is a way to express a person's daily physical activity as a number, and is used to estimate a person's total energy expenditure...
every day, in addition to usual activity. The key recommendations for 2005 (other specific recommendations are provided for children and adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, for older adults and for weight maintenance) are: - Engage in regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities to promote health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight. (At least 30 minutes on most, and if possible, every day for adults and at least 60 minutes each day for children and teenagers, and for most people increasing to more vigorous-intensity or a longer duration will bring greater benefits.)
- Achieve physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.
- GrainCerealCereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, recommending that at least half of grains consumed be as whole grainWhole grainWhole grains are cereal grains that contain cereal germ, endosperm, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. Whole grains can generally be sprouted while refined grains generally will not sprout. Whole-meal products are made by grinding whole grains in order to make...
s - VegetableVegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, emphasizing dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and dry beans and peas - FruitFruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, emphasizing variety and deemphasizing fruit juices - OilCooking oilCooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
s, recommending fish, nut, and vegetables sources - MilkMilkMilk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, a category that includes fluid milk and many other milk-based products - MeatMeatMeat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
and beanBeanBean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
s, emphasizing low-fat and lean meats such as fish as well as more beans, peas, nuts, and seeds
There is one other category:
- Discretionary calories, represented by the narrow tip of each colored band, including items such as candyCandyCandy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
, alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, or additional food from any other group.
Themes
The USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
encoded several themes into the design of the MyPyramid icon
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
. According to the USDA, MyPyramid incorporated:
- Personalization, demonstrated by the MyPyramid website. To find a personalized recommendation of the kinds and amounts of food to eat each day, individuals must visit MyPyramid.gov.
- Gradual improvement, represented by the sloganSloganA 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. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
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, which was launched in 2000, no foods are pictured on the MyPyramid logo itself. Instead, colored vertical bands represent different food groups. Additionally, the logo emphasizes physical activity by showing a person climbing steps on the side of the pyramid. MyPyramid was intentionally made 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 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 common household measures, such as 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.
Controversy
Some claim that the USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
was and is unduly influenced by political pressure exerted by lobbyists for food production associations, in particular dairy and meat.
Development
In September 2005, a "child-friendly version" of the food pyramid graphic and food guidance system launched. Three of five meetings had been held as of May 2009 towards the publication of 2010 dietary guidelines.The research process and results used to create the MyPyramid Food Guidance System was documented in a supplemental issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published in November/December 2006 that included the following articles:
- Britten P, Marcoe K, Yamini S, Davis, C., "Development of Food Intake Patterns for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System"
- Marcoe K, Juan WY, Yamini S, Carlson A, Britten P., "Development of Food Group Composite and Nutrient Profiles for MyPyramid Food Guidance System"
- Britten P, Haven J, Davis C., "Consumer Research for Development of Educational Messages for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System"
- Haven J, Burns A, Britten P, Davis C., "Developing the Consumer Interface for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System"
- Yamimi S, Juan WY, Marcoe K, Britten P. "Impact of Using Updated Food Consumption and Composition data on Selected MyPyramid Food Group Nutrient Profiles"
- 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
- Haven J, Burns A, Herring D, Britten P., Great Educational Materials (GEM) No. 426, "MyPyramid.gov Provides Consumers with Practical Nutrition Information at their Fingertips"
- Juan WY, Gerrior S, Hiza H., GEM No. 427, "MyPyramid Tracker Assesses Food Consumption, Activity, and Energy Balance Status Interactively"
- French L, Howell G, Haven J, Britten P., GEM No. 428, "Designing MyPyramid for Kids materials to help Children Eat Right, Exercise, Have Fun"
See also
- Healthy eating pyramidHealthy eating pyramidThe healthy eating pyramid is a nutrition guide developed by the Harvard School of Public Health, suggesting how much of each food category one should eat each day...
, an alternative designed to address criticism of the food guide pyramid - 5 A Day5 A Day5 A Day is the name of a number of programs in countries such as the USA, the United Kingdom and Germany, to encourage the consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, following requests by the World Health Organization to consume at least 400g of vegetables daily.In...
, more details on recommended fruit and vegetable portions - The twelve pyramidsThe twelve pyramidsThe Twelve Pyramids is a set of 12 health and nutrition plans, found in the MyPyramid Food Guidance System, are based on age and gender and activity level...
- Healthy dietHealthy dietA healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve general health. It is important for lowering many chronic health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all essential nutrients and an adequate amount of...
- Food groupsFood groupsA food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups and recommend daily servings of each group for a healthy diet.-Common food groups:...
- Food guide pyramidFood guide pyramidA food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
, the predecessor to MyPyramid