Food Pyramid

The usda has just released its new food pyramid, MyPyramid, designed to better help Americans lead a healthy lifestyle. The old pyramid, last updated in 1992, was criticized for being unclear and especially vague on what a “serving” really is. The original pyramid has done nothing to curb the ever growing obesity problem in America.

Faced with these issues, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent four years and $2.4 million revising the old pyramid. The new personalized version is based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January of this year.

MyPyramid gives personal suggestions based on the individual’s age, sex, and the amount of daily exercise. It gives the same emphasis on eating a wide variety of food in moderation, but with a new emphasis on exercising regularly.

The usda is counting on this sleek, new and improved pyramid to help battle the American obesity problem, a tough task considering that 30 percent of adults are obese and over half are overweight. But at least the usda is making an admirable attempt at giving Americans the solution to obesity, one that Trumpet readers are well familiar with—eat a balanced diet and get plenty of exercise.