Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama and officials from the USDA unveiled what they hope to be their newest weapon in the battle against childhood obesity: a plate of food.
The USDA’s Food Pyramid, which was established in 1992 to get Americans to better focus on the “right” types of foods they should be eating, has been replaced with MyPlate, “a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times,” USDA officials said in a press release.
The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.
“This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country,” Obama said. “[I]t’s tough to be a nutritionist. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is.”
The near 20-year-old Food Pyramid replaced the “Four Food Groups” model of healthy eating in 1992 in an effort to bolster public awareness of the types and amounts of foods that should be included in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, the idea never gained traction, panned by critics as being confusing and “counterintuitive.”
“[The Food Pyramid was] not exactly the finest public health message this country has ever generated, I’ll just put it that way,” CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen said recently. “It didn’t convey the message very well.”
With MyPlate, the USDA hopes to reverse that notion, as well as better instill the message of a healthy diet to school-aged children. This is the latest effort by the White House to shine a spotlight on the growing childhood obesity epidemic.
Earlier this year, the first lady launched the Let’s Move campaign aimed at reducing childhood obesity in the United States within a generation.
The USDA launched MyPlate on Thursday, replacing the two decade old Food Pyramid
The USDA’s Food Pyramid, which was established in 1992 to get Americans to better focus on the “right” types of foods they should be eating, has been replaced with MyPlate, “a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times,” USDA officials said in a press release.
The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.
“This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country,” Obama said. “[I]t’s tough to be a nutritionist. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is.”
The near 20-year-old Food Pyramid replaced the “Four Food Groups” model of healthy eating in 1992 in an effort to bolster public awareness of the types and amounts of foods that should be included in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, the idea never gained traction, panned by critics as being confusing and “counterintuitive.”
“[The Food Pyramid was] not exactly the finest public health message this country has ever generated, I’ll just put it that way,” CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen said recently. “It didn’t convey the message very well.”
With MyPlate, the USDA hopes to reverse that notion, as well as better instill the message of a healthy diet to school-aged children. This is the latest effort by the White House to shine a spotlight on the growing childhood obesity epidemic.
Earlier this year, the first lady launched the Let’s Move campaign aimed at reducing childhood obesity in the United States within a generation.
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