I’ll assume you’re at least loosely familiar with the USDA’s guidelines as to how America should be eating. (if not, refresh your memory and head over to the Dept. of Agriculture and take a peek.)
The current guidelines, unveiled in 2005 and dubbed “MyPyramid,” have largely been viewed as a failure. There’s little in the way of actual nutritional guidance, and it’s confusing. For example, the current pyramid recommends “at least” 3 oz. of bread and cereals each day, but, oddly, doesn’t provide quantity recommendations for anything else. “Eat more vegetables” is the hard-hitting, tell-it-like-it-is advice we’re given instead.
Every five years the USDA, CDC, and various “health experts” gather to discuss the makeup of the new pyramid and issue new guidelines. And this December those experts will be gathering once more — and America waits anxiously for the outcome.
I’m not a fan of the pyramid. There are many problems with the guidelines, but let’s focus on one in particular…
Where there is government, there are lobbysts. And it is the sole job of a lobby to gain favor for, in this case, the food producing industries represented on the pyramid. And each producer wants their say, lest their product get “demoted” or somehow disparaged on the new pyramid.
For example, the meat lobby (not to mention the yes-it-really-does-exist Salt Institute) is already opposing strict guidelines on sodium intake — which would affect the perception of lunch meat, among other foods.
The milk lobby is up in arms about warnings to cut back on sugar. Chocolate and strawberry flavored milk might just fall out of favor. (Blasphemy!)
And the egg lobby wants nothing to do with proposed verbiage advocating a “plant-based” diet for fear that it would be misunderstood as meaning vegetarian.
So…how, then, can a government appointed committee possibly be objective in the face of so much political pressure? It can’t. As proof, the current pyramid doesn’t expressly warn against eating anything at all — not even the stuff we know is bad for us.
Imagine how many politicians would be out of a job if the pyramid guidelines came out and said: “don’t fucking eat anything with corn syrup in it; it’s terrible for you.” Corn producers would mount a campaign to send them packing. Witness the re-election loss of Senator George McGovern in 1980, who in 1977 (misguidedly) recommended that folks cut back on red meat and dairy in a report titled Dietary Goals for the United States.
The reality is that corn syrup is awful, dirty stuff. Everyone knows it, and now, finally, even science is catching up. (But that’s not stopping the corn syrup producers from changing their tactics.) Since the McGovern debacle, no one wants to risk his or her neck by actually promoting some specific guidelines.
The fact is, watered down nutritional guidelines from Uncle Sam are at best ineffective, and at worst, downright dangerous, if it avoids genuine real-world guidance in order to appease politicians and their food-producing constituents.
But, let’s face it, does anyone actually pay attention to the USDA’s food guidelines? Well, for most of us, the answer is no when deciding what to eat day-to-day. But, the guidelines do impact what is served in school lunches and the makeup of nutrition labels, for example. Plus they’re included in educational materials provided by hospitals, and in connection with food stamp programs, among other things.
The effect is broader than what you may realize.
Where do I stand? That’s easy, and I don’t need a pyramid: Cut out most (or all) of the grains/cereals, then eat lots of veggies, some fruit, lean meats, eggs, some nuts and seeds, some dairy, plus good fats (olive oil and coconut milk, for example.) Easy.
The Obama administration has a huge opportunity here, but my guess is that we’ll get more of the same come December.
-Mike
