The food pyramid that illustrates what foods and how many servings people should eat each day for good health is under construction. And more than a few Americans want to get their hands on a hammer.
A New Jersey mother whose 7-year-old son is a vegan worries about how a pyramid dictates school menus. "Veggie burgers, soy cold cuts and soy milk are great substitutes for corn dogs, pizzas and milkshakes," she writes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
United Fishermen of Alaska asks that any new pyramid specifically mention "Fish" under the "Meat and Beans" group.
An artist from Maryland wants the pyramid turned on its head, so that sweets are on the bottom.
When the food pyramid was introduced in 1992, it was an immediately understandable visual for teaching people what kinds of foods and in what proportions made for a balanced diet.
But the icon, say many, is flawed. While the pyramid shape is brilliant, instantly illustrating that some foods should be eaten in moderation and others more often, its content fails to reflect what has been learned about nutrition in the decade since its creation.
The pyramid has too many carbohydrates and too few vegetables, say most nutritionists.
It equates fish with bologna rather than acknowledging some sources of protein are healthier than others.
There is an overemphasis, say some critics, on dairy foods. Dark greens, for example, may be superior to milk as a source of bone-building calcium.
So three years ago the USDA decided reconstruction was in order. A new pyramid could be unveiled for further public comment by summer.
"This is truly an open process: We're not going in with any predisposition," says John Webster, public information director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
The center could debut multiple pyramids for different ages and genders, or for sloths vs. athletes. The shape could change to a circle, cube or perhaps a column. Rather than listing servings per day, it might use specific measures such as cups or ounces.
More is at stake than just a pretty polygon.
The food pyramid and its accompanying dietary guidelines are not solely for public education but influence what products are manufactured and sold and set standards for federal nutrition programs, including school lunches. Hence the highly politicized nature of what would seem a benign graphic.
Some charge that the new will prove as useless as the old: The Agriculture Department is responsible for promoting agriculture, not health, they contend.
But feedback has been largely positive, with most correspondents happy a change is in the works. The Maryland artist says her inverted pyramid would be reshaped into a heart, to remind people that what they eat protects theirs.
What do you think?
To comment on the new food pyramid, write to Pyramid Reassessment, USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1034, Alexandria, VA 22302. More information can be found at www.cnpp.usda.gov Although a scrolling message when you click on "Proposed New Daily Food Intake Patterns for Food Guide Pyramid" says the comment period is over, USDA official John Webster said public comments are still welcome.
