Thursday, February 3, 2011

Pondering the Pyramid

The new Dietary Guidelines came out this week. Cue eyes glazing over for 99% of Americans.  Not for me though. It was like the Academy Awards in nutrition PR. The Guidelines are updated every five years and they are such a huge deal for so many food companies.  So it is with giddy excitement that I bring my thoughts on the new recommendations.

Everyone is looking for the big A-HA.  Some all-encompassing easy fix for obesity.  Not going to happen people.  Eat less, move more.  Nobody wants to hear that. 

One day I will have to explain healthy eating to Mia. I probably won't use the Guidelines to do that.  In 100 pages the current report doesn't really tell you anything new.  They also call out nutrient 'bad guys' like fat and sugar but not specific foods, which is confusing (although pleases food companies).  Telling Mia to cut back on salt, sugar and fat will be met glazed eyes.  But saying "less frosting, more broccoli" with a raised voice might mean something.

So will the new Guidelines do anything to combat obesity? We have five years to find out.