Can the Healthy Eating Pyramid Solve the Unhealthy Eating Problem?

The Healthy Eating Pyramid is Harvard School of Public Health's (HSPH) attempt to remedy the shortcomings of the new food pyramid put out by the US Department of Agriculture.

It is important for diabetics and people with related issues, such as obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular problems, to rise above all of this food guide 'noise'.

Please realize that several interests are at play here. Below are some of the complaints about the USDA's new food guide noted by the HSPH and others.

• The new food pyramid does not give enough information to help people make informed choices
• It is just like the old food pyramid flipped on it's side
• There's no suggestion of serving size for each food group
• Information is "hidden" in the graphic representation, which, at first sight, leaves one to guess what is being portrayed
• Only Internet users seem to benefit from the information, and still they'll have to search for the explanation of the food pyramid at www.mypyramid.gov

HSPH healthy eating pyramid is an attempt to provide clearer instructions to people who are concerned about their diet and long-term health.

What's in the Healthy Eating Pyramid?

At the base of the Harvard School of Public Health's food guide pyramid is the encouragement to make physical exercise and weight control a part of your health emphasis. This is good, since so many lifestyle illnesses, including diabetes, begin with the deficit in this area.

Still, as a diabetic who has noticed the effects of diet and exercise firsthand, I must mention a few important points about this pyramid.

The next three levels of the Healthy Eating Pyramid contain, what I would call, the essential foods: whole grains, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and plant oils.

Suggestions are given for consumption of these food groups, but the oils are ranked on the same level as the whole grains.

Since dietary fat is a major factor in the cause of diabetes, it would be good to avoid even the subliminal suggestion of an equality of importance of these two food groups.

An aggressive approach to diabetes treatment would require avoiding the next three levels of the Healthy Eating Pyramid completely.

The anti-diabetes diet which advocates a simple diet that avoids all amounts of the harmful foods, does not use animal products (the source of cholesterol) and processed foods, such as white bread and other fiber-less foods.

This HSPH's Healthy Foods Pyramid includes some foods (or substances) that are unhealthy, or are clearly not wholesome. This is especially so for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Why should they include alcohol in a list of healthy foods? My opinion would be that we all, whether healthy or ill, stay near the base of the Harvard food pyramid.

The healthy eating pyramid is a good attempt at solving the puzzling food pyramid the USDA created, but at the same time, it still includes substances that people with diabetes would do well to avoid.

So, does the Healthy Eating Pyramid solve the healthy eating problem? I would have to say no.

If you want more than just control of the symptoms of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and other lifestyle-related conditions, stay on the lower levels of the Harvard model.

You can find more information about the Healthy Eating Pyramid, plus a comparison to the USDA's new food guide at the HSPH website.

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