On April 19, 2005, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system. "Steps to a Healthier You," MyPyramid’s central message, supports President Bush’s HealthierUS initiative, which is designed to help Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives. MyPyramid, which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, is part of an overall food guidance system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle.
"MyPyramid is about the ability of Americans to personalize their approach when choosing a healthier lifestyle that balances nutrition and exercise," said Johanns. "Many Americans can dramatically improve their overall health by making modest improvements to their diets and by incorporating regular physical activity into their daily lives."
MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide authoritative advice for people two years of age and older about how proper dietary habits can promote health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases. MyPyramid was developed to carry the messages of the dietary guidelines and to make Americans aware of the vital health benefits of simple and modest improvements in nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle behavior.
The new food guidance system utilizes interactive technology found on MyPyramid.gov. MyPyramid contains interactive activities that make it easy for individuals to key in their age, gender, and physical activity level (see Table 1 and Table 2) so they can get a more personalized recommendation on their daily calorie level based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It also allows individuals to find general food guidance and suggestions for making smart choices from each food group.
MyPyramid.gov features:
• MyPyramid Plan—provides a quick estimate of what and how much food you should eat from the different food groups by entering your age, gender, and activity level.
• MyPyramid Tracker—provides more detailed information on your diet quality and physical activity status by comparing a day’s worth of foods eaten with current nutrition guidance. Relevant nutrition and physical activity messages are tailored to your desire to maintain your current weight or to lose weight.
• Inside MyPyramid—provides in-depth information for every food group, including recommended daily amounts in commonly used measures, like cups and ounces, with examples and everyday tips. The section also includes recommendations for choosing healthy oils, discretionary calories, and physical activity.
• Start Today—provides tips and resources that include suggestions on all the food groups and physical activity, and a worksheet to track what you are eating.
Future enhancements to MyPyramid.gov will include features that make it possible for consumers to make specific food choices by group, look at everyday portions of favorite foods, and adjust their choices to meet their daily needs.
MyPyramid: The New Look and Message of the USDAs Food Pyramid. Altern Med Alert 2005;8(5):S1-2.
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