MyPyramid.gov: Assessment of Literacy, Cultural and Linguistic Factors in the USDA Food Pyramid Web Site.
After the epidemic of obesity in America and the failures of the USDA's 2005
MyPyramid, the USDA produced MyPlate in 2011 to change eating habits for better health.
This group includes all types of dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt; but, an addition to this group, from the old food guide is calcium fortified soy beverages (which was considered a vegetable in the
MyPyramid food guide).
This new icon replaces the existing
MyPyramid tool as the consumer-facing educational graphic supporting the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) released in January 2011.
Q.:
MyPyramid was the first guide to mention physical exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Remind students of the components of a healthy diet by visiting
mypyramid.gov.
Moreover, less than half (49 percent) of American adults were familiar with the USDA's
MyPyramid program - an interactive food guidance system based on the guidelines.
The animal-advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has filed suit against the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, saying they're ignoring a healthier vegetarian alternative to the national
MyPyramid nutritional tool.
The group charged that the departments violated federal law by failing to respond to a petition from the group offering "a simple, plant-based alternative to
MyPyramid." The petition notes that obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed since the food pyramid was introduced 2 decades ago.
For example,
MyPyramid relies on an interactive web site and graphics that enable adolescents to increase their nutritional knowledge (U.S.
However, "
MyPyramid Tracker" (http:// www.mypyramid.gov) is an adequate online resource that can walk students and educators through interactive tutorials such as "Assessing Food Intake" and "Assessing Physical Activity," providing the background information that will enable students to get the most out of this project.