Can the Food Pyramid Solve Childhood Obesity?

Everyone agrees that childhood obesity is a problem, but there is a great deal of debate about how to solve it. Is the excellent Food Pyramid the acknowledge or do we have to look elsewhere? A look at the basic buildings of the pyramid and the arguments its critics put send against it help provide the answers.

The origins of the Food Pyramid go back to 1916, when the U.S. Division of Agriculture released its first "Food for Young Children" guide. This was refined over the years. In 1992, the traditional four food groups were wide to six and the descriptive "Food Guide Pyramid" was created.

The Food Pyramid

Bread, cereal, rice and pasta comprised the largest food group, at the lowest of the triangle. Fruits and vegetables were each given one half of a pyramid block, with vegetables being given slightly more emphasis. The next block on the pyramid was proteins. Dairy products took up 50% of this block, while red meat, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes comprised the other half. The apex of the pyramid was given to fats, oils and sweets, with the advice to "use sparingly".

The Dept. Of Agriculture revised the look of the Food Pyramid supplementary in 2005, changing the horizontal blocks to 6 vertical colored stripes and the name to MyPyramid, but the food groups remain essentially the same. In an endeavor to address the issue of child obesity, the government website now emphasizes the low fat, higher nutritional aspects of each food group. However, is this facts adequate to stem the growing tide of childhood obesity? One critic says it is not.

The Harvard School of social condition takes such a strong stance against the Division of Agriculture's pyramid, it has created an alternative pyramid it calls the healthy Eating Pyramid. Among other things, Harvard argues that the official pyramid is based on out of date science and has been influenced by corporate lobbyists.

There are any key areas that differentiate the two food pyramids. While red meat is high on the Dept. Of Agriculture's list of healthy proteins, Harvard places it in the "eat sparingly" category. Harvard moves dairy products up from a main source of protein to a smaller 2-3 servings per day source of Vitamin D. While grains still have an leading place on the Harvard list, refined foods such as white bread have been moved to the "eat sparingly" category.

Two other leading distinctions deserve special mention. The Harvard version makes a disagreement between healthy and unhealthy fats and oils. Hence, olive oil takes pride of place along with vegetables and fruit, while saturated and trans fats are to be avoided. The new Usda pyramid includes a frame face of the pyramid climbing a flight of stairs to suggest exercise. The Harvard version gives exercise more emphasis, placing it at the foundation of its structure, along with weight control.

The question remains: Can the Food Pyramid solve childhood obesity? An argument can be made that the Harvard healthy Eating Pyramid goes supplementary towards addressing the qoute than the Usda's MyPyramid. Other diet and food experts offer alternative solutions to the issue of obesity in children. In the last analysis, the only way to tackle obesity is to learn the facts and succeed straight through with a healthy diet and fullness of exercise.

Can the Food Pyramid Solve Childhood Obesity?