050407 USDA Revamps Food Pyramid to Unveil New Symbol

Washington - The U.S. Agriculture Department will discard its nearly 15-year-old Food Guide Pyramid, blamed by some nutritionists for the country's growing childhood obesity problem, and unveil a new food guide symbol to encourage healthy eating.

Plastered on the walls of almost every school cafeteria in the United States, the Food Pyramid is heavy on grains and light on fats and oils.

"The pyramid was partially responsible for the obesity epidemic ... because it aggressively pushed a low-fat and high-carbohydrate diet," said Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the popular South Beach Diet.

The USDA Food Pyramid, created in 1992, displays bread, cereal, rice and pasta at the base, indicating that consumers should eat the most from that group. Vegetables and fruits split the next, smaller level of the pyramid, while dairy products and meat, fish, eggs and poultry share the next tier. At the pyramid's tip are fats, oils and sweets, which should be eaten sparingly.

The Food Pyramid was the successor to circles and "food wheels" that followed the development of written food guides in the early 1900s. Over the years, consumers have been told to balance their intake among four, five, seven or 12 food groups.

Although federal officials say that the vast majority of Americans readily recognize the Food Guide Pyramid, two-thirds of adults are overweight. About 14 percent of U.S. children are overweight, triple the amount of 20 years ago.

Obesity caused by poor diet and physical inactivity is blamed for 400,000 deaths a year.

FLOATING BALLOONS?

The USDA has received numerous recommendations on what the next symbol should be, from a circle or a square to floating balloons.

The new symbol will reflect the government's updated daily nutrition guidelines which encourage eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

The USDA has been tight-lipped about its new symbol. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns scheduled a news conference to unveil "USDA's new symbol and food guidance system."

"Whatever the symbol is, we hope that it is easy for adults and children to understand and to use to make healthy eating choices," said Eric Peterson, spokesman for the School Nutrition Association.

Officials with various food industry trade groups said they had not been informed what kind of graphic image the USDA planned to adopt. The issue is important to many of the groups, which are eager to ensure that their food product is prominently featured.

The federal guidelines, updated in January, recommend eating up to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and specify that at least three of the daily servings of grain be whole grains such as whole wheat, oats or brown rice.

The government urges consumers to avoid some sweetened foods and trans-fats, which are created in processing vegetable oils.

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