There is a general consensus among Americans that we as a nation are overweight. How to fix the problem is where opinions diverge among nutritionists. The United States Department of Agriculture suggests 2 cups of fruit, an ambiguous amount of vegetables, 3 cups of low fat milk, 3 ounces of grain, and a vague amount of lean meats along with regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight. This type of diet is high in carbohydrates and low in fat and is largely based on the cholesterol-heart disease myth. It is also happens to be the mainstream diet promoted by the United States Government. It is important to note that the United States Department of Agriculture is not a health organization. The United States Department of Agriculture ". . . aims to meeth the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natrual resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and abroad" (wikipedia). In other words, it is an organization looking out for the best interests of the food industry. The diet they have established works in the best interested of food manufacturers and harbors outdated nutritional information.
As the rate of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes increases in the United States, people still cling to the notion that this type of diet is actually healthy. In reality, a diet like the one prescribed by the Department of Agriculture will promote obesity. Any diet low in fat content will promote the storage of unwanted body fat. In addition, a diet high in carbohydrates will further promote the storage of fat by triggering key hormones in the body. Not to say that fast food and frozen dinners do not play their part in the obesity epidemic, but a critical look needs to be taken at the foundation of American health which is largely based off of the corrupt food pyramid.
In order for Americans to rectify their diet they need to take a look that takes into consideration both human evolution and recent findings in nutritional studies. A diet that includes a moderate intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fat from the correct sources will promote a lean, healthy body void of the disease of civilization such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately since the mid 1900s diets that include any amount of fat have been scoffed at. By taking a look at how human beings have eaten for 99% of their existence and combining that with recent nutritional research, a clear diet can be established that would benefit Americans, drastically lowering the amount of disease related to excess weight.
2 comments:
This is a very informative post that creates a couple of questions that I would like to ask. The first being since you've done your research for this topic are there concrete, documented substitutes for the food pyramid? I saw that you had a number of links for the food pyramid. If there are not any substitutes what would you suggest to individuals who use the food pyramid. Many people in this country are uneducated and have not been taught proper nutrition. They will simply assimilate and go along with what is the "norm" not knowing the risk that they are taking. The food pyramid can be useful but what are some alternatives. Although I had these couple of questions I enjoyed the knowledge about the The United States Department of Agriculture and have they documented any alternative types of eating charts to follow?....Just something to think about.
You're exactly correct. People are going to follow the "norm" without knowing the risk. Unfortunately there is no substitute for the food pyramid as of now. Making a pictorial representation of what all people should eat is quite a daunting task. There are of course thousands of nutritionists and organizations trying to tell America what to eat but none are as influential as the pyramid. In all honesty, I believe that the food pyramid should be thrown out. It should be replaced with general guidelines like those offered by Harvard.
"Alternative to the Food Pyramid
The Harvard diet recommends:
5 servings vegetables (potatoes don't count)
4 servings fruit
1 serving nuts and tofu
Eat white meat (fish or poultry) four times as often as red meat (beef, pork, lamb and processed meats)
3 to 6 servings whole grains, such as dark breads and high fiber cereals"
These guidelines are feasible and easy to follow. Not to mention fruit and vegetables are much more important in this diet than in America's food pyramid. Something like this should be adopted. Its simple and quite healthy.
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