Pyramid Scheme Take out a one-dollar bill and look at the back - not the Washington side, the green side. See the pyramid capped with the mysterious glowing eye? That just might be what the revised USDA Food Guide Pyramid will eventually look like; only it may have a glowing TV tube instead of an eye. The current Food Guide Pyramid is capped with "Fats, Oils & Sweets," along with the guideline: "Use sparingly." But the 13-member panel of nutrition "experts" has been instructed by the USDA to broaden the guidelines to focus on weight loss as well as a healthy diet. That might not seem like a big deal, but here's the result: The new guidelines may include advice about lifestyle choices, such as a recommendation to spend more time exercising and less time watching television. So the new pyramid just might list "exercise" at its base to emphasize its daily importance, and "television viewing" at the top, beside the note: "Use sparingly." According to Reuters Health, the panel stated that during "leisure time, all individuals, especially children and adolescents, should limit their sedentary behaviors, such as TV watching and video viewing." I don't know about you, but I'm not real crazy about the idea of the Department of Agriculture trying to coax me into cutting back on my TV viewing time. That's MY time! I don't tell the USDA how to farm, and they shouldn't tell me how to spend my leisure hours. This new focus is obviously designed to address the obesity crisis in the U.S. But as well-intentioned as it seems to be, it drifts from the basic idea of dietary guidelines. And while excessive TV viewing may contribute to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle, it doesn't really have a place in a "food guide." A food guide should offer guidance about… you know… FOOD! Not TV watching or video game playing or fishing or painting or poker playing. The USDA advisory panel already has enough to deal with in determining a one-size-fits-all recommendation for good nutrition without sticking its nose into my TV room. And what can we expect from the panel's nutrition recommendations? Right now they're playing it pretty close to the vest, stating only that a "wide variety" of foods should be consumed, while recommending increased fish consumption and more whole grains. In other words, they're not yet divulging if bread and cereal will still be at the base of the pyramid, with the encouragement to eat 6 to 11 servings a day. (That ongoing recommendation has been a coup for the bread and cereal manufacturers who have a very powerful and aggressive lobby.) But here's what's really unsettling: According to Reuters Health, members of the panel were "deadlocked" over whether sugar-sweetened drinks contributed to weight gain. Deadlocked. Amazing. That would seem to indicate that at least half of the panel members have dug in and refused to agree that excessive consumption of sugary soft drinks contributes to obesity. And yet they're ALL in agreement about excessive TV watching!? When USDA officials reveal the new guidelines next January and hold a televised press conference, I'll make a point of cutting back on my TV watching that day. Who am I kidding? I can't WAIT to see the new pyramid! It's going to be very interesting - and possibly quite laughable - to find out which "food" lobbies (sugar, grains, television) have been the most successful in promoting their agendas. I've got a feeling that when we get a look at the new food guide next year, we might want to take the whole pyramid and put it in the "use sparingly" category. Now… where's that remote? Let's see what's on. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute Sources:
"Diet Experts Tell Fat U.S. - Turn Off TV, Eat Smart" Charles Abbott, Reuters Health, 5/27/04, reutershealth.com
"Dietary Panel Calls for More Fish, Fewer Refined Grains" Associated Press, 5/27/04, usatoday.com
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