Food Pyramid Being Replaced With Plate-Shaped Logo

[JonLP24]

Goodbye Food Pyramid, Hello Dinner Plate

The Obama administration is about to ditch the food pyramid, that symbol of healthy eating for the last two decades. In its place officials are dishing up a simple, plate-shaped symbol, sliced into wedges for the basic food groups and half-filled with fruits and vegetables.

The circular plate, which will be unveiled Thursday, is meant to give consumers a fast, easily grasped reminder of the basics of a healthy diet. It consists of four colored sections, for fruits, vegetables, grains and protein, according to several people who have been briefed on the change. Beside the plate is a smaller circle for dairy, suggesting a glass of low-fat milk or perhaps a yogurt cup.

Few nutritionists will mourn the passing of the pyramid, which, while instantly recognized by millions of American school kids, parents and consumers, was derided by nutritionists as too confusing and deeply flawed because it did not distinguish clearly between healthy foods like whole grains and fish and less healthy choices like white bread and bacon. A version of the pyramid currently appearing on cereal boxes, frozen dinners and other foods has been so streamlined and stripped of information that many people have no idea what it represents.

“It’s going to be hard not to do better than the current pyramid, which basically conveys no useful information,” said Walter C. Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Willett said he had not seen the new logo.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/health/nutrition/28plate.html?_r=1&hp

I'm not sure if this a Lounge story or a GD story. It kinda seems like a GD story.

[redwitch]

1. Seems like a GD article to me.

And the plate logo will make more sense to people.

[HopeHoops]

2. What the hell - post it in The Lounge too - you'll get more funny pictures in the thread than in GD.

[JonLP24]

3. I'll cross-post since you say so

:)

[On the Road]

4. Sadly, It Hasn't Been a Pyramid for Several Years Now

ever since they replaced the horizontal levels with those vertical wedges. Ludicrous presentation.

There's nothing wrong with a plate -- presumably it will look like a pie chart. Maybe people's eyes glaze over when they see the old pyramid. But the new on definitely had to go.

[blondeatlast]

5. That's not only hideous, it's incomprehensible. The plate idea

seems like a good one, IMHo; we'll have to see how it turns out.

If the plate idea also shows what an actual serving looks like as well, more's the better.