Health Options
ARE you confused by the increasing number of food pyramids claiming to illustrate the best way to eat? More than 25 Food Guide Pyramid versions are accessible via the Web. Many are based on the original USDA version but have changed the food examples to match specific cultural food preferences. Beware of variations on
the Food Guide PyramidNo single food contains all the nutrients and phytochemicals in the amounts required for optimal health. Based on this, proposing that there is a single best eating plan reaches far beyond present-day scientific knowledge and eating-styles that people will accept.
The USDA's pyramid was developed to meet known nutrient needs in a fashion that would be acceptable to most Americans. Each food group was chosen to assure an adequate supply of nutrients for good health.
Pyramids based on the USDA's model are the only models that set specific serving-size amounts for foods in each group. The lower number of recommended servings meets nutrient requirements for an average of 1,600 calories, while the higher number provides an average of 2,800 calories. Clear descriptions of serving sizes are important for eating guides to make nutritional sense. Keep in mind, typical portion sizes today are much greater than USDA serving sizes.
Some pyramid changes have been minor. The Mayo Clinic modified it to promote weight loss, whereas Tuft's University adjusted it for those over age 70 by adding 8 glasses of water per day along with supplements of calcium and vitamins D and B-12 to meet the increased nutrient needs of this group.
Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust developed four pyramids -- Asian, Latin, Mediterranean and vegetarian -- based on the assumption that incidences of chronic disease are lower in these groups primarily due to diet, rather than physical activity or other lifestyle differences.
As might be expected, based on the availability of foods in earlier times, the Oldways pyramids generally limit meat, poultry, eggs, fish, shellfish, dairy and sweets. Depending on the particular cultural pyramid, these foods may be limited to weekly or monthly.
Distributed with the Great Aloha Run packet recently was yet another pyramid, by Dr. Walter Willet. Called the Healthy Eating Pyramid, this eating plan has significant potential problems. Placing vegetable oils in their own group at the base of the pyramid along with grains, with no suggestion of acceptable quantity, implies that oils are healthy in most any amount. Remember, oils are dietary fat and they provide about 120 calories per tablespoon.
Willet's pyramid also indicates that red meat, butter, white rice, white bread, potatoes, pasta and sweets all should be consumed sparingly. A problem with this approach is that people may attempt to adapt this pyramid to their own food preferences in ways that don't meet their nutrient needs.
Suzanne P. Murphy, Ph.D., R.D., a researcher at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and member of the graduate faculty in Nutritional Science at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, sums up our views when she says, "It's easy to make up a pyramid based on your opinions or beliefs, but much harder to design one based on scientific data such as the nutrient intake recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences. The USDA Pyramid is virtually the only one in the U.S. that is designed to ensure a nutritionally adequate diet for those who follow it."
For online information about the food pyramid, see www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/.
Health Events
Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a sports nutritionist in the
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science,
University of Hawaii-Manoa.Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a food and nutrition consultant
and owner of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.
She is also responsible for the nutritional analyses
indicated by an asterisk in this section.